These days, it can be hard to focus, given how many distractions are around us. From personal challenges to streaming services, a lot of things demand our attention. If you’re stressed or suffering from anxiety, productivity can be especially hard to come by. Wellness expert Medghyne Calonge often uses meditation to increase focus, and now she’s offering to share some meditation tips.

“Meditation is a valuable tool,” claims Medghyne Calonge. “Before discussing how to meditate, let’s examine what meditation isn’t. It’s not hocus-pocus, and while some practitioners may have a mystic aura, a lot of practitioners take a more grounded approach.”

She argues that meditation can clear the mind and help you focus. This, in turn, may boost your productivity and cognitive functions.

“If you’re going to meditate, you need to find somewhere comfortable. You don’t necessarily need to find a secluded meadow in the woods. A comfortable, supportive chair in your office can suffice. As you build your meditative skills, your surroundings will become less significant. Soon, you might find yourself meditating in the middle of a stop-and-go traffic jam.”

So did you find yourself somewhere comfortable to relax? Good! Before you start meditation, you should take a moment to reflect on what you want to accomplish.

“It’s a wise idea to think about goals before starting your meditative journey,” Medghyne Calonge says. “What do you want to accomplish? Reduce stress? Increase productivity? Both, Something else? Figure out your goals but don’t obsess over them. That’ll make it harder to meditate.

Medghyne Calonge On The Fundamentals of Effective Meditation

By now, you’re hopefully in a comfortable spot and have a few goals in mind. Next, it’s time to start meditating. Medghyne Calonge suggests beginning with breathing exercises.

“Breathing techniques are essential for meditation, especially as you’re just starting. Start by taking ten deep breaths, holding in each breath for a few seconds. Focus on your breathing as air goes in and out. This will help you clear your mind.”

Medghyne suggests that you do breathing exercises until your mind is clear. Once your mind is clear, you can start to focus on your goals.

“Once your mind is clear, and the breathing becomes natural, you can start to envision a state of being or a physical place,” she says. “If you want to relax, think about a scene that makes you happy, perhaps a long walk in the woods. If you want to boost productivity, envision yourself as a calm, steady, and productive person. Then keep taking deep breaths as you focus on these mental images.”

Medghyne says that these images will help you envision and calm your mental state. In the future, if you find yourself stressed or out of focus, you can circle back and meditate again.

How Reducing Mental Stress Can Boost Your Career and Studies

Many people have a lot on their minds. You may be attempting to manage your career, raising a family, or pursue higher education, for example. And even if you’re not dealing with a particular challenge, say working on a degree, you may end up doing so in the future. With that in mind, a sound, healthy mental state may boost your career and education prospects. Wellness guru Medghyne Calonge outlines the benefits of reducing stress.

“A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” Medghyne Calonge points out. “This powerful, well-known saying gets to the heart of it. Unfortunately, anxiety and stress can result in you wasting your mind, thoughts, and efforts. And that will impact your career and education, among other things.”

Medghyne Calonge notes that one of the things that make us unique is our intellectual capacities. We can create art, technologies, and more. Yet if you’re stressed out, you may struggle with complex challenges.

“Humans are unique in that we have incredible thinking capacities,” Medghyne Calonge argues. “But if you’re stressed out or anxious, you won’t be able to use your intellectual abilities to their fullest.”

Often, careers and education focus on problem-solving. Whether that means accomplishing a particular task at work, say organizing the stockroom or making a presentation, or completing algebra equations during a university exam, intellectual skills are vital.

“It’s more difficult to think clearly when you’re stressed. Of course, many of us are already familiar with just how much stress can reduce thinking and concentration. If you’re stressed, it’s harder to focus on things, especially complex concepts that require a lot of attention and effort.” Medghyne Calonge was delighted to share these mediation and mindfulness tips and hopes that you will find them useful for your overall health and wellness.