Peter Bregman explain that “Meditation brings many benefits: It refreshes us, helps us settle into what’s happening now, makes us wiser and gentler, helps us cope in a world that overloads us with information and communication, and more”. In a simple sentence, Meditation makes us more productive.
“How? By increasing your capacity to resist distracting urges”. I will add here, that It helps us to focus on the important things to do and clarify our priorities.
Research shows that an ability to resist urges will improve your relationships, increase your dependability, and raise your performance. If you can resist your urges, you can make better, more thoughtful decisions. You can be more intentional about what you say and how you say it. You can think about the outcome of your actions before following through on them.
Our ability to resist an impulse determines our success in learning a new behavior or changing an old habit. It’s probably the single most important skill for our growth and development. As it turns out, that’s one of the things meditation teaches us. It’s also one of the hardest to learn just to let it go!
Meditating daily will strengthen your willpower muscle. Your urges won’t disappear, but you will be better equipped to manage them. And you will have experience that proves to you that the urge is only a suggestion. You are in control and can make intentional choices about which to follow and which to let pass.
So how do you do it? If you’re just starting, keep it very simple.
“Sit with your back straight enough that your breathing is comfortable — on a chair or a cushion on the floor — and set a timer for however many minutes you want to meditate. Once you start the timer, close your eyes, relax, and don’t move except to breathe, until the timer goes off. Focus on your breath going in and out. Every time you have a thought or an urge, notice it and bring yourself back to your breath”. Breath in slowly and breath out slowly. Be aware of the air coming inside your body and air going out your body….. just stay there. Feel it.
“That’s it. Simple but challenging. Try it — today — for five minutes. And then try it again tomorrow”. Make this time a good habit in your daily routine as you wash your hands, clean your desk, empty your mind and relax your body!
It was extracted from Peter Bregman article. He is a strategic advisor to CEOs and their leadership teams.
Related articles
- 3 Ways Meditation Can Make You a Better Leader (news.terra.com)
- How To Meditate And Relieve Stress (meditationclasssydney.wordpress.com)
- Cindy Griffith-Bennett: Turn These 5 Things You Do Every Day Into Meditation (huffingtonpost.com)
Beatriz Adams Garcia 