Micro-Meditation: Fixing Stress In 20-Second

The idea of sitting still for 45 minutes or more for many could be a little daunting, especially in our fast-paced world, where everyone is trying to achieve goals in life. However, to truly accomplish goals, one needs inner peace and has to remain focused. Don't worry there are ways now to attain mindfulness in less than 1 minute. With the discovery of micro-meditation, a lot of people are putting things right in 20 seconds.

What is micro-meditation?

In conversation with The Los Angeles Times, Eli Susman, a UC Berkeley PhD candidate in clinical science, who went to a one-month retreat to a Buddhist monastery in France in 2017, and found out to her disappointed to learn that 30 minutes of daily meditation was on the schedule. Susman tells The Los Angeles Times, “Two of the biggest barriers people have for developing a meditation habit is having the time to do it and developing the habit of doing it regularly. Micropactices are like tiny training sessions that are based on the most potent parts of therapeutic practices”.

What are the benefits of meditation?

Meditation could feel like home, when you keep all the chaos and rush in life at bay, and focus on balancing calm and peace. People who regularly meditate experience profound clarity in thoughts and achieve calmness. The advantages can include of any type of advantages could include:

• Reduced resting heart rate (RHR)
• Meditation has been proven to reduce stress
• Improves concentration level
• Lower blood pressure
• Minimal inflammation
• Reduced feelings of depression or anxiety
• Good sleep quality
• Lowered resting heart rate
• Boost immunity

How to perform micro-meditation?

As meditation itself is to achieve calmness, and clarity and take control of the situation, if you’re a beginner, you don't have to sweat. Performing micro-mediation is as simple as setting aside everything. Find yourself in a good and peaceful spot. Close your eyes and pay attention to your thoughts. Simply breathe in and out paying attention to your thoughts for the next 20 seconds.

During an interaction with The Los Angeles Times, Susman also reveals a micro-meditation only works for those who practice regularly. She says “It only worked for people who practiced it regularly. In our study, we looked at the subset of people who practiced daily and at the whole sample of people who were given the instruction. More frequent practice was associated with a greater increase in self-compassion and a greater reduction in stress and mental health problems like symptoms of depression or anxiety compared to a control group.”

Get a hang of micro-meditation to make life more simple and fulfilling. The 20 seconds we misuse in dumbscrolling our phone, or mindlessness becoming a couch potato if used wisely can make a big difference in one’s life.