Turn to the Spiritual Side

The most wonderful time of the year?  How about the most stressful time of the year?  Turn on the radio...there's holiday music.  Go online...there's holiday sales.  Drive to town...there's holiday traffic.  Everything is holiday, holiday, holiday.  It's enough to make anyone anxious...unless you make time for some self-care.

By that I mean meditation, and not necessarily the kind that makes you sit crossed-leg on the floor and chant "om" (unless, of course, that's the kind you prefer).  Meditation is all about taking a short break to calm yourself and your mind.  It's about putting a little time aside for yourself to feel peaceful and able to handle the different things that pop up in your life.

I don't know about you, but my mind is usually all over the place like a caffeinated squirrel, and during this time of year my mind goes into overdrive.  I feel I barely have enough time or energy to do all the things I need to get done.  Five minutes, however, isn't a lot of time.  So, every morning I set the timer on my phone for 5 minutes, I sit down comfortably on a cushion, close my eyes, and focus on my breathing.  I breathe in; I breathe out.  That's basically it.  I give myself permission not to think and stay in the moment.  And guess what--it works!

Perhaps sitting down for 5 minutes by yourself in silence is too daunting?  Maybe you need a little more guidance?  Not to worry.  We have meditation CDs at the library that can take you through a guided meditation, and we have books that can offer advice on meditating and starting your own personal practice.

Experts say that besides reducing stress, meditating can strengthen your immune system, help you sleep better, and make you happier in general, among many other benefits.  That's a pretty fruitful five minutes a day, don't you think?

Wishing you peace and a stress-free Holiday Season from the perch.