Lifestyle
How 10 Minutes Of Meditation A Day Could Save Your Marriage
You’ve had a terrible day at work, the kids are fighting upstairs, your freezer broke, and you need to get to swimming lessons in five minutes, sound familiar? Whether you are a single mom, working mom, new mum, mom of teenagers, or a fur baby mom, life can suck at times, and it’s easy to get drawn into a rabbit hole of negative thoughts. These negative thoughts can have a huge impact on your motivation, and you can start feeling as if things are getting on top of you. Would you believe me if I said that practicing just 10 minutes of meditation exercises a day could improve your mood and relationships with your family and spouse?
Now already I can hear thousands of you saying, “but I haven’t got 10 minutes to fit meditation into my day, Clare, as I’m so busy,” I’m here to tell you, yes you have, and yes, you can!
If you want to be calmer, have more clarity, and be less snippy with your kids and spouse, then 10 minutes of meditation is a small price to pay out of your day! When you meditate, you help combat the anxiety overload that builds up every day and contributes to your stress. when you are less stressed you can cope with the chaos of life just that little bit better.
The benefits of 10 minutes of meditation can include:
- Seeing stressful situations in a new light and being able to cope with a stressful situation more calmly
- Managing your stress better
- Increasing your self-awareness
- Being able to Focus on the present moment
- Reducing negative feelings, thoughts, and emotions
- Increasing patience and tolerance with people around you even in stressful situations
Meditation might be helpful if you have a medical condition that may that may be worsened by stress.
It is thought that meditation may help people manage symptoms of conditions such as:
- Anxiety
- Chronic pain
- Depression
- Sleep problems
- Tension headaches
Talk to your GP about using meditation if you have any of the above conditions or other health problems.
Follow these easy steps to 10 minutes of mindfulness.
Step 1
First of all, I’d like you to write down all the reasons you’d like to start meditating. Your list might include:
- I’d like to have more clarity
- I’d like to stop yelling at my kids
- I’d like to be kinder to my spouse
- I’d like to be less anxious
- I’d like to be more patient
- I’d like to be able to deal with stressful situations better
Don’t skip this step because you will be referring to this list every day.
Step 2
Decide what time of the day you’d like to do your 10 minutes of meditation.
You might decide to get up ten minutes earlier to do some morning meditation before the family gets up.
You may decide to do your 10 minutes of meditation before bed while the kids sleep.
the great thing about meditation because it is portable. You can do it on the bus, while walking the dog, while feeding the baby. You can meditate where and when you like and at a moment’s notice. It is not like the gym where you have to schedule a class. You can literally do it anywhere, anytime. You don’t need to sit in the Lotus position on a cushion for an hour to feel the benefits of meditation you can practice it even when you’re doing other stuff!
- In the bath (breathing meditation)
- In bed, before you go to sleep (body scan)
- In the car (breathing meditation)
- Whilst you’re doing the dishes (mindfulness)
- Whilst you’re doing your housework (mindfulness)
- While you are walking the dog (walking meditation)
- On your lunch break (mindful eating)
- On the treadmill (mindful chanting)
Write down on your list when you can schedule time to do your 10 minutes of meditation.
Step 3
Choose a meditation practice that suits you. This might sound a little scary, so I’ve simplified it for you and created this free cheat sheet to get you started, and the good news is that it’s free for you to download when you sign up for our newsletter.
You can try many different types of meditation, and I’ll try to simplify them as best I can for you.
Breathing meditation
Where you concentrate on each inhalation and exhalation of your breath, being mindful of its natural rhythm and flow. I love breathing meditation as it instantly makes you feel better.
Here’s a quick exercise you can do right now so you can see how effective it is:
- Breathe in slowly and fill your lungs
- Exhale slowly
- Repeat five times
I bet that is the first time you’ve noticed your breathing today. How much better do you feel with less than a minute of meditation. Now imagine how great you’d feel after 10 minutes of breathing meditation when you allow your body and mind to sync.
Walking meditation
Describes a practice where you concentrate on your walking rather than chatting on the phone or worrying about work. Walking meditation helps you to bring body and mind together while out and about. If you don’t like to sit and meditate, this is a great alternative to practice mindfulness. It is also great for dog walkers, mums with prams, or anyone with a long walk to work!
Mindful eating
mindful eating is where you learn to eat mindfully. You sit down to eat without any distractions such as TV or phones. You concentrate on each mouthful you put in your mouth. Taking a few sips of water between each mouthful. This meditation is great for anyone who really believes they can not find time for 10 minutes of meditation. We all eat, and we often eat too quickly. For those of you who are very busy every day, this may be the best meditation for you.
Guided meditation
Describes a meditation led by a teacher. This is a great mediation practice for beginners as the teacher leads you through the basic steps of your meditation. This will help you to learn the skills to help you move on to more advanced mindfulness meditations. Guided meditation is the one I practice almost every day. I find that I get a huge benefit, even from a 10 minute guided meditation instead of doing it independently.
Body scanning
Body scanning involves laying down and paying attention to parts of the body, feelings, and sensations in a gradual sequence from feet to head. Bringing awareness and relaxation to every part of your body. You will notice any aches, pains, tension, or general discomfort. A body scan is a great meditation to do before going to bed as it is so relaxing.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is where you concentrate on every single thing, you do. Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment through gentle thoughts. This can be when you’re doing the dishes, pegging out the laundry, etc. This is also a great meditation for anyone short of time as you can practice meditation for 10 minutes whilst doing your housework!
Chanting
Describes the practice of repeating the same word or phrase like a mantra. I chant A LOT as it helps me to meditate when I’m stressed. You can find some great chants and guided meditations on the free insight timer app here. My favorite is “Om Mani Padme Hum” you can find it here.
Write the meditation you have chosen to try on the list you created before. I have written a free list you can grab here.
Step 4
Now you’ve chosen your time to meditate and the type of meditation you’d like to practice, you need to commit to getting rid of any negative thoughts. So, every day I’d like you to read all the reasons you’d like to meditate, and if you feel like you just can’t be bothered or don’t have the time, this list should help you stay committed to practicing each day. If you feel the practice you have chosen is not right for you, then pick another one!
Step 5
Start meditating for 10 minutes every single day, no matter how busy or bad your day is. You will soon start to feel the benefits of your daily 10 minute meditation almost immediately
Step 6
Write down on your list how you felt after your 10 minutes of meditation for example:
- I felt calmer
- I felt relaxed
- I felt safe
- I felt stress-free
It is important to remind yourself how good you feel each time you meditate as, over time, this list will grow and grow each day as your wellness improves, and you can refer back to this list every time you feel like skipping your practice.
It’s important to remember that if you do miss a day, it’s no big deal. You can start the next day again, and you’ve lost nothing!
Meditation is the most flexible thing you can do to look after yourself.
Don’t forget to pick up your free starter pack here!