In this modern age, the negative effects of stress are unavoidable and the most effective method to deal with it in my view is to practice mindfulness and meditation.

Lots of studies have shown that when you practice mindfulness and meditation, it can positively impact mental and physical health.

These benefits don’t end when our meditation or mindfulness session ends.

Learning to pay attention to our current thoughts and feelings and accept them without judgement, may help us to be happier.

The emotional benefits of meditation can include:

• Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations;
• Increasing self-awareness: it can help us discover positive qualities about ourselves;
• Focusing on the present;
• Reducing negative emotions;
• Increasing imagination and creativity;
• Increasing patience and tolerance.

Furthermore, through meditation, we can learn to recognize emotional pain and not be oppressed by it.

It’s really important to take five minutes as a short break for yourself and your thoughts during the day.

Are 5 minute meditations enough?

Absolutely yes.

The idea that you could spend less than five minutes every day doing meditation in order to change your whole life is alluring, isn’t it?

The reality is that our attention very easily drawn away from the present. However, you will be able to gain more control over your mind and thought processes.

We often worry about what happened yesterday and what’s happening tomorrow. That’s why if we practice mindfulness meditation for just five minutes a day, it is enough to make a difference and change your brain.

Here are 5 tips to help you build practice mindfulness meditation and create this positive habit for yourself:

Use every free minute

We often think that we need to allocate 20 minutes or more in order to get some ‘meditation’ time in, but this is not true.

Even one minute can make a difference if you start doing it regularly.

Connect it to an existing habit

One of the difficulties of creating a new habit is remembering to do it. When you link it to another habit that is already in your routine it becomes much easier. For example brushing your teeth or making a cup of coffee – train yourself so that before taking your first sip, you take ten slow, deep breaths or straight after brushing your teeth, you sit for two minutes and do some breathing exercises.

Use a meditation app like Silatha that is designed to help build a habit

Get supported by using a meditation app such as Silatha. The special method has been fine- tuned over many years and promises to increase your chances for success, as well as being six times more successful than any other meditation app in creating a habit that lasts.

The method includes linking your personal intention to a tangible object which then becomes your reminder. So, when a stressful moment happens during the day, you hold your object (called your ‘Gem’) and you will go back to your intention.

Find a buddy

Are you the kind of person that thrives alongside others or perhaps needs an extra push?

Many of us do, so if that’s the case for you, get a meditation buddy who can keep you excited and on track. Align on a time of the day that you both will meditate and keep each other accountable.

Have a tangible reminder

Invest in yourself with an anchor. This can be a beautiful piece of jewellery which is there to support and remind you every day. Or create a warm space in your house with some candles and flowers, where you feel calm and relaxed. Make sure there is a tangible element in your daily surroundings that helps you remember that you want to sit for a few minutes, so you can’t forget.

When we purposely devote time and attention to a mindfulness practice daily, we are promoting inner peace and awareness. A basic method is to focus your attention on your own breathing, the inhale and exhale

How to practise mindfulness in less than five minutes

A basic method is to focus your attention on your own breathing, the inhale and exhale. Your eyes may be open or closed, but you may find it easier to maintain your attention if you close your eyes. Then, find a comfortable position and relax your body.

You may find that your mind wanders, distracted by thoughts of bodily sensations. Don’t worry. Just notice that this is happening and gently bring your attention back to your breath.
Be kind to yourself.

For more information on Silatha, here is their website and socials .To download the Silatha app and explore how the self-love meditations can enhance in your life, click here:

***Giveaway***

To help you create some mindful moments in your day, we’ve teamed up with Wellbox for a chance to win one of their lovely mindfulness boxes, featuring 9 premium wellness products to help support you in some all-important me-time and reflect on the positives. 

Enter on our giveaways page here

Author bio

Silatha Founder, Veroniek Vermeulen, is on a quest to break women’s mental health taboos and support women through their mental health issues with meditation.

Veroniek enjoyed a long career as a Senior level marketing expert. At some point in her professional life she realised that status and money weren’t making her happy. A life changing experience amidst the beautiful surroundings of the Himalayas got her in contact with meditation and this led to the creation of Silatha, a company that wants to improve the mental health of women harnessing a special meditation method that becomes a long lasting habit: www.silatha.com

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash

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