Stress Management

Tune Out to Tune In

Image of women meditating.

Meditate to alleviate anxiety and stress.

Meditation is a stress management technique that allows you to be in the present moment without interruptions from the kids, deadlines, meetings, and the long to-do list swimming through your mind. It can be practiced anytime in short spurts to relieve immediate stress or for longer periods to help reduce the risks of stress-related illnesses.

How meditation can help

Meditation does not replace proper diagnosis and treatment for a medical problem, but it can promote well-being and may also reduce symptoms of the following conditions:

•  Anxiety

•  Pain

•  Depression

•  Stress

•  Insomnia

•  Chronic back pain

•  Asthma

•  Hot flashes

•  Physical or emotional symptoms that may occur with chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer and bothersome side effects of their treatment.

Guru advice:

•  Practice meditation two times a day, preferably morning and night. Five to 10 minutes a session is good for starters.

•  Choose a quiet place – not a place that you work, exercise, or sleep, if possible.

•  Get rid of distractions. If you are worried about the phone ringing or the kids waking, you won’t relax.

•  Assume a comfortable position. Focus on your breathing.

•  Pay attention to your slowing heart rate and your relaxed muscles.

•  Focus on a single point in the room. Good props include candles, incense or quiet music.

•  Once the mind quiets, focus on your body. Start at your feet, then move slowly upward, noticing how everything feels.

Action Step

Take at least 10 minutes every morning to calm your mind. Sit or lie down. Breathe slowly and deeply. Focus on the feeling in your lungs and chest.

Download an offline pdf file.

Page from Ways to Well-Being book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

2019 © American Institute for Preventive Medicine  -  All Rights Reserved.  Disclaimer  |  www.HealthyLife.com