By: Kandi Mensing, Mad Men Marketing Vibe Curator
Everyone deals with anxiety from time to time. You are not alone in the pursuit of peace and tranquility. With so many of us looking for ways to cope with emotional turmoil, meditation is a wonderful tool. Tools like meditation practices can help keep us calm and support a sense of balance amidst turmoil and chaos.
When we are stressed and anxious, our bodies release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can actually compromise our immune systems. Meditation releases “feel-good” hormones, like serotonin and oxytocin, which are scientifically proven to boost our immune systems and relieve stress.
Meditation is ultimately a unique personal practice in learning to manage one’s internal crises and overall wellness. It is an ongoing process of going inward to understand the true essence of letting go, observing without judgment, being comfortable in stillness and silence, and finding power in the present. There are no levels or measures to gauge one’s experience or expertise in meditation. If anything, there is only that pure intention and commitment to working towards becoming a better version of ourselves.
If you’ve not yet dove into the world of meditation and would like to try it, you might find peace in knowing there is no one-size-fits-all rule when starting a meditation practice. Find what works for you. It evolves and changes differently within each person. Just the same, it is accessible to anyone and everyone looking to discover the power in stillness and silence.
First things first: find a time you can commit to every day and tell the one(s) you’re close with daily with to honor this important private time for yourself. Consistency is important when introducing new habits but, of course, you can employ meditation at any time during the day, anywhere, and for short or long periods of time. That is what makes it accessible to anyone.
Again, no rules; just find what works for you. Newbies may want to check out this page by Headspace: How to Meditate.
There are several meditation apps and resources available.
To list a few:
- BREETHE – Check out their Learn to Meditate and Daily Breethers programs.
- HEADSPACE is an app with guided mindfulness exercises and meditation.
- Use your Alexa speaker to prompt meditation sounds by saying “Alexa, play meditation” or “Alexa, play guided meditation” for the meditation of the day. Perhaps a helpful guide.
- Use YouTube to find meditations, like this one.
- Look up meditation music albums on Apple Music or other music platforms, such as “50 Best Meditation Songs Collection.”
- Make use of the zen room in your workplace, if you’re lucky enough to have one like we do at the Mad Men Marketing office in Jax.
- Maybe you are lucky enough to have space at home to create a dedicated meditation space.
We want our team at zen, not zero. Offering creative benefits like professionally-guided meditations, sound baths, and yoga sessions keeps our team creative and connected. We also host wellness challenges that involve prizes — one of which was a meditation challenge!
In all, there are many ways to support the health of your workforce. This is just one of them.