NEW YEAR 7-DAY FOCUS PROGRAM

Friday's Focus

10 Minutes of Calm, Meditation, or Breathing

Forget what you've heard about meditation. You can do it and you don't have to sit there with a completely silent mind (I don't!). Just take a moment to breathe slowly and listen to a guided meditation (aka, a soothing pep talk).

Meditation reduces cortisol levels, enhances focus, and promotes a sense of calm and clarity. It can also improve sleep and reduce anxiety.

All you have to do is take a moment to breathe slowly and listen to a 10 minute guided meditation (In other words, a soothing pep talk). This can be done either in the morning or in the afternoon after work, and is designed to help you release any stress from the week and remember your positive thoughts.

Even if meditation feels new to you, I promise these 10 minutes will leave you feeling calmer, clearer, and more grounded. At the very least, take these 10 minutes to lie down, listen to some gentle meditation music and just rest. If you think about a million things that is okay too - maybe your mind needed the time to run through those things in quiet.

Setting The Scene

Environment: Find a quiet, comfortable space. Sit or lie down, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Decide if you prefer natural light or a dark room with candles or a warm light.

Focus Areas: Choose themes like mindfulness, gratitude, or stress relief. Think about what you need to hear right now or be reassured of. If you were your best friend, what pep-talk topic would be really helpful right now? Now search for this on Insight Timer.

Resources:

• Insight Timer (My favourite). Free App. Thousands of searchable meditations for every need or mood! You can also filter by duration.
        Some of my favourite meditations include:
  • Loving and Listening To Yourself - Sarah Blondin
  • Learning To Surrender - Sarah Blondin
   
• Spotify
  • A Zen Mind Guided Meditations (On Spotify)
  • Peaceful Meditation Music (Playlist on Spotify)
    
• Free YouTube meditations
  Search “10-minute guided meditation” for endless options.
  
  
• Apps like Calm, Balance and Headspace 

Themes to Explore:

• Gratitude meditation for focusing on positive aspects of your life.
• Body scan meditation for relaxation and releasing tension.
• Loving-kindness meditation to enhance self-compassion and empathy.