We’re overworked, we’re stressed out and we’re often struggling to keep up. I’ve been prescribing guided meditations to nearly every patient that comes into my office lately because of how busy and overwhelmed everyone is.
Today I wanted to discuss why this prescription is important and tips for a really easy way into meditation to get you started, avoid any frustration and help you figure out what’s going to work best.
Guided meditations are an easier way to start
Especially if you’ve never attempted meditation before, trying to go from 0-100 and meditating with a silent mind for 45 minutes is going to be a disaster. This is why I like to have people start off with guided meditations. They give your brain something to do while practicing relaxation, and depending on the topic of the meditation, can even work to accomplish everything from progressive relaxation and abundance visualizations to chakra clearing and gratitude work. Guided meditations are definitely the way to dip your toe into the meditation pool.
Practice BEFORE you’re overwhelmed
Many patients will come back after I’ve recommended guided meditations and say, I tried it a few times but I just couldn’t calm myself down enough to really get into it. This part is KEY. If you’re not good at calming yourself down once you’ve reached crisis mode, we have to start calming you down LONG before crisis mode is upon us. This is also why I encourage to practice and do your guided meditations on a daily basis, especially when you’re already feeling calm or relaxed. That way, once things get nuts in your life, you’ve already got a good handle on managing stress and overwhelm.
Find what works for you
There are about a million different ways you can begin to incorporate guided meditations and meditations into your life. There are so many different apps to choose from, loads of youtube videos, and tons of CDs that you can borrow from the library, etc. Try a variety and figure out what you seem to enjoy the most and focus on that. It might take you a bit to discover what you’ll be most successful with, but stick with trying different options until you find the one you like the best.
Practice, Practice, Practice
They don’t call it the “practice of meditation” for nothing. It’s definitely not something you should expect to be proficient and amazing at right from the get-go, but with time and effort, you’ll notice how much quicker you’re able to calm down and go into parasympathetic mode or “rest and digest” as we call it. I encourage all my patients to find a time in the day that they’ll be able to commit to, then aim to do it daily for 2-3 weeks in a row. Often that time is right before bed when we want things to calm down and get relaxed to drift off to sleep. But I want you to make sure you choose a time that will be most successful for you in the long run.
My Favourite App
My absolute favourite app for guided meditations so far is Insight Timer. It’s amazing because it’s got literally THOUSANDS of guided meditations, and they’re all free! There is an enormous variety of topics, speakers and lengths of time the meditations last for. It’s definitely my go-to and one I recommend frequently to patients.
Your Mission
- Find a form of guided meditations you like
- Pick a time of day to commit to
- Guided meditations daily for at least 2 weeks in a row
- Let me know how it goes!
Want extra support or help with stress or anxiety?
Supporting your mind and body through the stressors of everyday life is one of my absolute favourite things to do in clinic and I’d love to help you too. If you feel like you need some extra support and guidance with this I would love to get you back on track and on your way to feeling better. Feel free to call our clinic at 403-460-0647 or book online.
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