Tips On Meditation And Productivity

Meditation and productivity are not something that most people who are new to meditation would think have much in common. In fact, when you first start out meditating it can be challenging enough just to sit still with your eyes closed for 5-minutes.

To some people, being productive means getting things done. While for others it means being busy. The question I always ask myself about my productivity levels is, “Am I being effective with my time and energy.”

We can be busy all day and all night and yet still not be effective. I call this being addicted to having something to do. It seems that for some people if they don’t feel like they are doing something all the time, then they judge that they are not being productive. This couldn’t be any further from the truth.

Being productive and being effective at the same time is a matter of discipline. It’s knowing what to focus on and when and how to apply your time and energy to getting things done. If you’re doing things for the sake of doing, rather than doing them to achieve a result you had in mind, then you’re simply wasting energy.

Our mind and body work best when they are rested and refreshed. That’s why it’s important to have several mini-breaks during the day where you can switch off the mind and allow yourself to chill out for a few minutes.

When you notice that you are feeling over-stressed, or that you are mentally, physically, or emotionally fatigued, then that’s a sure sign that you are pushing too hard. Sure, there will be times that this is required but it should be the exception rather than the rule. If this happens all the time, then not only will your productivity suffer but you’ll eventually burn out.

How To Improve Your Productivity Through Meditation

If you’re the type of person that thinks that working longer and harder is the best way to be productive then you really need to pay attention to this section as it may help you retain your health and happiness along the way.

Why on earth people think that they will be happy ‘when’ they achieve a certain goal, or outcome, I’ll never know. People are really happy when they get what they want because now they don’t have anything to look forward to.

Our minds are hard-wired to be competitive and ambitious in nature. That means when we achieve something that we thought was important, instantly it starts to fade in the background and the next object of our desire takes it place.

There’s never going to be enough money, things, power, fame, success, or whatever your desires may look like to satisfy the minds eternal quest for more. This is why meditation helps. It allows you to find happiness and peace right here and now regardless of where you are or what’s going on in your life.

It brings you into the present moment which clears the mind and refreshes the body. This all happens because your brain is no longer stuck in ‘busy’ mode and so your mental energy is no longer being scattered amongst the thousands of thoughts and feelings that you are having from moment to moment.

Think about this. Thoughts are real forces. When we are busy our mind and emotions are completely wound up by what we are focusing on or getting distracted by. Meditation helps you to rapidly unwind the mind so that you can enjoy instant calmness, clarity, and focus.

The type of meditation that helps you to achieve this is mindful meditation.  It helps you to go from being overwhelmed by all the mental and physical stimuli you have been experiencing to feeling relaxed.

Relaxation of the mind is critical for it to give you more space to think clearer and solve problems easier. That’s why meditation helps with productivity. It clears the mind. When the mind is quiet, then the brain send out signals to your body to start recharging depleted energy reserves.

That’s why research has shown that 20 minutes of deep meditation can bring about the same benefit for the mind and body that we get from having a good nights sleep. It all stems from brainwave functioning and the relaxation triggers that happen as our brainwaves slow down.