Nowadays, many people recommend meditation for dealing with stress. But a lot of us are resistant to the idea of meditation. How exactly do you close your eyes and think about nothing? Is it even possible to do this? There’s no denying that meditation is hard to do. It requires a great deal of concentration and focus, which you probably lack, since you’re so stressed out! Fortunately, there are many ways to deal with stress which don’t involve meditation. Plus, there are easier ways to meditate too, which everyone can do. Here are a few options:
Free Association Writing:
This is recommended by self-help guru Julia Cameron. She calls it writing “morning pages.” Her recipe involves writing three pages longhand of whatever comes to mind every morning. She thinks of it as a form of meditation that Westerners might find easier than the classic “close your eyes and think of nothing” meditation.
Running/Walking:
Every runner knows that running can be meditative. Plus, you get that elusive “runner’s high” which you don’t get with other forms of exercise. You get into “the zone” which is the point of meditation. But if running is too difficult, take a walk. Everyone can do it. And if you can walk somewhere picturesque, that will help you to reach that meditative state.
Read a Book:
So you can’t just close your eyes and disappear into your inner world. But maybe you can grab a good book and disappear into a world that someone else has created. Both have the same effect—taking you away from the present, at least for a little while. When you come back to reality, you’re refreshed and ready to go on.
Cleaning/Housework:
The whole idea is to get away from the problems which are plaguing you at present. So it helps to turn your mind to another problem such as, possibly, your messy house or apartment. Have you been meaning to throw out a bunch of books which are lying unread? Do you have a few shirts with rips that you still want to hold on to? How about that recipe that you’ve been meaning to try? All of these will take your mind off your current source of stress and leave you feeling satisfied with the results.
