How to Use Meditation to Improve Focus

How Taking 10 Minutes Out of Your Day for Yourself Can Change Your Attitude

It’s too easy to get bogged down in the daily grind.

Every so often, you need to take a step back and ask yourself if you’re happy with the way things are going. If you don’t like what you find, then it could be time for a change.

More often than not, the biggest obstacle to happiness is your own attitude.

Whether you want to be more productive, more motivated, or more committed to your goals, it’s your attitude that keeps you from making changes.

You need to have the right outlook in order to change your habits or follow through with your plans. Fear and anxiety can lead to pessimism and self-doubt.

You’ll never get anywhere if you’re constantly worried about failing. So, what can you do to change things? All it takes is 10 minutes out of your day.

The Power of Meditation

Meditation has been used for thousands of years. But, over the past decade, new scientific research has verified the benefits of this simple practice.

Studies show that practicing meditation on a regular basis can help to reduce anxiety and anxiety-related symptoms.

Reducing anxiety and learning to control it can help you make better decisions. Your decisions are less likely to get clouded by self-doubt and worry.

It can also relax your mind, slow your heart rate, and uplift your spirits. And, you can get started with just 10 minutes of meditation each day.

Choose the Meditation Style That Works for You

There are three main types of meditation. This includes focused attention meditation, mindfulness, and transcendental meditation.

Each has its own focus and benefits to your attitude, on top of the advantages discussed – a reduction of anxiety and a boost to your mood. Choose the style that you find easiest to work into your daily routine.

1. Focused Attention Meditation
Focused attention meditation is used to enhance your ability to concentrate. This will generally require you to focus on an object, such as a painting or the pen on your desk. You focus your entire attention and mental focus on the object.

As distractions and thoughts enter your mind, you return your focus to the object. It’s that simple. Just sit in a comfortable chair, focus on an object, and breathe normally.

With time, you’ll increase your skill at remaining focused and productive. You’ll be less likely to fall victim to distractions.

2. Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is similar to focused attention meditation. The difference is that instead of focusing on an object, you’re focusing on your breathing. You are letting your thoughts flow freely. When a thought enters your mind, you return your focus to your breathing.

3. Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental meditation varies from the previous two types of meditation, in the sense that it requires your mind to become a blank slate. It is referred to as effortless because you don’t need to concentrate on anything. But, this requires practice.

The goal is to discover your true self by eliminating all thought. Some people may have trouble wrapping their mind around this concept. Don’t worry, mindfulness and focused attention meditation don’t rely on a concept as deep as transcendentalism.

For most, the first two examples of meditation will work. This is all that you need to begin changing your attitude for the better.

Both forms of meditation will help you gain more control of your emotions, while also helping you improve your focus and concentration.

Some people find focused attention meditation to be easier to jump right into because it can be less challenging to focus on an object than to focus on your breathing.

Choose the Right Time for Your Meditation

Since you will only need 10minutes, it shouldn’t be hard to meditate each day. But, if you don’t schedule this time, your busy lifestyle will get in the way.

Choose a specific time of the day to meditate. Consider your schedule and which time of the day would be easier to set aside a short block of time to meditate. If you truly can’t find the time to meditate, then set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier than usual and meditate in the morning.

Make a Habit of Meditating Every Single Day

After you’ve chosen a form of meditation and time of the day to practice it, you just need to stick to it. You should make a habit of meditating every single day.

It can take between 21 and 66 days to develop a habit. This requires you to commit to this simple technique. You’ll need to continue meditating every day before it becomes a natural part of your daily routine.

So, set your time of the day to meditate and choose your form of meditation. Stick to this schedule. Make sure that you do it every day, even if you don’t feel up to the task.

Just taking a few minutes out of your day for yourself can be incredibly rewarding. You’ll find many of your old worries, fears, and doubts melt away.

When you first start meditating, you’ll have difficulty dealing with your random thoughts. As you sit in a chair, in a quiet room, you’ll find random thoughts and emotions drifting in and out of your head.

The goal is to learn how to let these thoughts go without dwelling on them. With focused attention, you focus on an object. With mindfulness, you focus on your breathing.

With repetition, you’ll learn how to remain in control of your mind. That’s what you’ll get out of meditation. The things that you used to cause you to get angry and anxious will become minor inconveniences.

Ten minutes is all that it takes to change your life. By remaining in control of your mind, you’ll be better equipped to deal with any challenge that comes your way.

Meditation isn’t just a fad or a trend. It’s an effective strategy for improving your mental capabilities and it’s recommended by a growing number of health professionals – especially for people that have stressful careers.

If you want to succeed in life, sometimes you need to focus on the internal before you focus on the external.