How do you find calm when a storm of chaos is raging around you? The answer is practice! I don’t mean by immersing yourself in overwhelming situations more often, but rather by practising some form of mindfulness, meditation or mind training on a regular basis.
Being Present To Your Thoughts Is Great Training For Chaos
If you’ve never tried it, you might be wondering how sitting quietly helps you to get better at surviving anything chaotic. Well, there is NOTHING calm or serene about sitting still and being present to your thoughts without distraction. For most of us, what goes on in our heads is far more confronting and challenging than any work situation we will encounter. The training that keeps you present and focused while enduring the storm of your own thoughts also helps you remain calm when faced with other chaos at work or in life.
Meditation training asks you to stay focused on one thing (usually your breath) regardless of what else you are feeling or thinking. It teaches you to bring your mind back to your breath in the present moment whenever you find it wandering. The same training helps you to come back to the present moment when you are facing challenging situations at work. Regardless of the surrounding noise or chaos, you have practice at ignoring it and turning your mind to the thing you need to focus on (a deadline, problem etc).
You Don’t Have To Sit In The Lotus Position For Hours
All power to you if you can sit in the lotus position for hours and meditate. For most of us doing this isn’t achievable or desirable. If we tried, we would spend the time mind wandering and feeling resentful.
Fortunately you can make a difference to your life with as little as 10 minutes a day of some form of meditative practice. There are wonderful apps you can use to help or you can do it yourself by closing your eyes and focusing on feeling your breath. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Any small moments you can give yourself will make a difference. It’s free, comes with heaps of health benefits and might just help you deal more effectively with the challenging things you experience at work and in life.
Warm wishes from a non-lotus position meditator.