Last week we talked about how stress can cause problems in your body – from skin or digestive issues to tension headaches and general aches and pains atorvastatin 20 mg tablet. You can find our stress post here.

We offered tips for reducing your stress and one of our suggestions was meditation. Meditation is fast becoming a new trend, instead of a wacky hobby for hippies. It’s becoming increasingly important to stressed out professionals who need a way to calm their minds.

When you first begin to meditate, it may feel incredibly difficult as we are not really used to quietening our minds. But though it can feel difficult, meditation should feel good. It’s not about forcing concentration or pushing yourself to clear your mind entirely in the time you have allocated.

Here are some tips to help you get started with a regular meditation practice:

Allow yourself to think
Don’t focus on having to have an empty mind, pushing out every thought is exhausting and that’s not what meditation is about! Allow the thoughts to come, but train yourself not to follow wherever they lead. Allow them to drift in and out, rather than latching onto one. Over time this will translate into your daily life and you’ll find it easier to let things go.

Don’t be afraid of guided meditation
If you are really struggling with meditating on your own, download some guided meditations to kick start your habit.

Find time for a regular practice
If you don’t think you have time, have another look at your day. Could you listen to a guided meditation on the train or bus to work? What about swapping your lunchtime Facebook habit for 5 minutes of meditation? There is always time if you are willing to find it.