Leading a busy, calendar filled life, seems to be the norm these days. We’re always on the go, thinking about the next thing on our to-do list before we’ve even completed the current task. We juggle work, uni, friends, family, dating and home, so the thought of even trying to make time to relax can be stressful in itself. With increasingly busy lifestyles, restoring the balance often becomes bottom of the priority list.
However, taking the time out to relax is so incredibly important for your mental health. It gives you time to recharge and regenerate. But you’re probably thinking how do I even do such a thing? Well, Virgin Mobile teamed up with Smiling Mind, to help individual’s practice meditation using their mobile. Yep, most exercises only take ten minutes and all you need is your mobile phone and maybe a pair of headphones. Practicing a little everyday mindfulness is waiting at your fingertips.
Start The Day Right
Look no further than the morning commute to bring a little mindfulness into your day. I mean, we are all guilty of pulling out our mobile on the train and getting lost in social media. Scrolling endlessly through our Instagram feeds, whilst feeding our brains with the latest Spotify playlist. Well why not take this time to practice a little meditation instead. Head to the adult category and you’ll find a heap of modules, with everything from body scans to extended meditations for when you master the mindfulness technique.
Before A Meeting
We can all relate to the feeling of overwhelming stress before an important meeting. Those feelings of anxiety build, maybe you even feel a little unprepared. Well, practicing a little meditation right before a presentation of meeting is a great way to mitigate feelings of uncertainty. Book a meeting room 15 minutes early, or even take a sneaky bathroom break. There’s up to 40 sessions of workplace meditations you can choose from to get you into the zone.
The New Coffee Break
Often we break up the day to pop over to the closest café and pick ourselves up a cup of pick me up. Often a coffee can leave us feeling over energised in the wrong ways (coffee shakes – we’ve all had them). Instead, opt for a ten-minute walk out of the office, the uni library or even the building site. Plug in your headphones and take your surroundings in. Check out ‘Connecting with Nature’, sure to reduce the stress of the day and get you feeling reenergised.
Before Sleep
Often the stress of the day and a jam packed weekly schedule can leave you staring at the ceiling for hours before you even get some proper rest. Promote relaxation in your life and improve your sleep patterns, by winding down with a guided meditation. The sleep meditation module ‘Starry Night’ will help you prepare for a good night’s rest through exploration of breath. It might sounds overrated, but even the simplest of mindfulness exercises can help you unwind.
Image Sources: Smiling Mind, Unsplash.