How To Meditate Your Anxiety Away In 5 Mins

Before I get all hippie and start taking an ayahuasca retreat, let’s look at why meditation is the best, most accessible, and most effective mindfulness practice.

Today’s modern online world is BOMBARDED with endless noise and static.

Every minute of the day something terrible happens somewhere in the world.

One minute you hear about a tragic earthquake in Turkey and the next you hear about a famous celebrity who died.

If this constant wave of negativity feels too much for you to handle…

You’re not wrong.

Truthfully, the media’s purposefully made to PUSH bad news in your face.

Negativity sells clicks and sells it super well.

But the problem isn’t the news itself…

The problem arises in your day-to-day reality.

Imagine how much of life you’re missing out on when your thoughts are blaring non-stop.

Instead of enjoying the here and now and really LEANING into the present experience…

Whether it’s happy or sad…

Your mind is too loud for you to truly feel the colors of the moment.

And what if you struggle to connect with the man or woman of your dreams?

Think about how painful it’d be when you’re talking to the husband or wife of your children, and you struggle to focus on what they’re saying.

Or just as heart-wrenching, the opposite happening, when you see your partner’s eyes half-foggy and almost lifeless when you’re talking about your troubles.

Your ability to make love and care for another human is directly linked to how present you are.

I’ll say it again…

Your love life quality is determined by how present you are.

You’re not entirely to blame for:

• Sitting down to do your work and ending up wasting your time

• Struggling to focus on a conversation with your loved ones

• Walking into a room and forgetting why you’re there

But you ARE responsible for controlling your mind.

That’s why there’s one super-habit that helps you stay present and grounded…

One super-habit that quiets the mind and trains you to think consciously…

Meditation.

Now that we understand how important presence is, let’s dive into how meditation helps.

In layman’s terms, meditation is all about concentrating on only ONE thing for a certain time.

The widely accepted practice is to concentrate on the breath.

It’s a naturally subconscious action so it can really train your conscious mind to be AWARE.

But you can plant your focus on anything, from the sounds of the birds chirping to the rustling of the leaves in the summer wind.

Now, the overall act of meditation is to try your best to keep your focus on that one thing.

But here’s where 90% of people get things entirely WRONG…

After maybe a few seconds of focus you’ll realize that your attention wandered elsewhere.

At some point, it’s INEVITABLE that you’re no longer thinking about the original focus.

This is the point where most people think “Oh no, I lost my focus, this is too hard for me” and give up.

Please listen when I say you must understand:

This is a GOOD thing.

The split-second realization that you’re thinking about something else is the KEY.

Most people give up because they realize they have lost their focus when, ironically, the skill of thoughtful awareness is what meditation is FOR.

When you’re aware that your focus has changed, that is the CHANCE for you to guide your mind back to the present.

Once you can think to yourself “Ah, my mind is wandering, let’s bring it back to the main focus” that’s when you’ll reap the benefits.

Hear me out when I say this again.

The point of meditation isn’t to focus on one thing for as long as possible…

The point of meditation is to recognize when your attention drifts away and to kindly and calmly redirect it to the original thought.

It’s the act of bringing your attention back to, let’s say, the breath, which is the whole PURPOSE of meditation.

This cycle of realization and redirection of your focus trains your mind to be hyper-aware of WHEN your attention is wandering.

And the faster you repeat this cycle over and over again while you meditate, the better you’ll get at recognizing when you’re thinking MINDLESSLY instead of CONSCIOUSLY.

So now you understand how to meditate, but chances are you’re still probably wondering to yourself “How do I even begin?”

Well, getting started is simple and free for everyone.

Here’s a beginner’s guide to meditation that you can use anywhere, anytime today:

1. Find a spot where you can relax your body

2. Set yourself in a comfortable position

3. Close your eyes

4. Inhale deeply through your nose

5. Expand your lungs and feel them grow

6. Hold your breath for 1 second

7. Exhale slowly through your mouth

8. Contract your lungs and feel them shrink

9. Hold your breath for 1 second

10. Repeat steps 4-9 for your allotted time

You can start this practice literally TODAY for only 60 seconds.

Even if it’s only for a minute, you can train your mind to redirect your focus 20-30 times.

Now you might be thinking “What’s a minute of breathing gonna do to change my life?”

Honestly, it won’t.

But, like all habits, the power of consistency is that it COMPOUNDS over time.

Soon, 1 minute turns into 3, 3 turns into 5, 5 turns into 10, and so forth.

Once you can get to a solid 15+ minutes each session, after a few weeks or even days, I GUARANTEE you’ll see noticeable results.

This practice requires diligence, dedication, and above all, putting in the reps.

But if you stick to the beginner’s guide above…

Your life will never be the same:

• You’ll have full conscious control over your mind and what you think

• You’ll begin finding joy in small, everyday things like going for a walk

• You’ll enjoy the company of friends and family without checking your phone

And perhaps, best of all IMO…

You’ll be able to consciously choose what to focus on without getting distracted easily.

Skyrocketing your productivity and your ability to get work done.

And in turn, help you boost your success in your career or business.

All from one simple, free exercise.

Hope this gives you a clearer insight on meditation!

And don’t worry, I didn’t forget about the second half of the two mindfulness practices:

Journaling.

Next time, I’ll be giving an overview of its benefits, purpose, and a beginner’s guide to journaling.

And perhaps, if I’m feeling it, dropping a few prompt ideas that I’ve used…

(Wink wink).

Stay tuned!

With mindfulness and consciousness,

Meg :)