Meditation focuses your mind to reduce stress through a simple breathing exercise: inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale for 4. Try apps like Headspace or Calm, or sit quietly and practice for a few minutes daily.
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If you find yourself stressed, like when you get a bad haircut, consider meditating. Meditation is a practice of focusing your mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to achieve a mentally clear and calm state. It's the most popular technique people use to actually get calm. There are several meditation apps available on the App Store. The Mindfulness app, Headspace, and Calm are three of the most popular, and each of them have an introductory session so you can give it a try to make sure it works for you. However, if you prefer old school for meditation, try this: find a comfortable, quiet spot to meditate. Sit on the floor or in a comfortable chair. Avoid lying down on your bed because chances are you'll just doze off. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to learn to turn off your brain if you want to meditate. Instead, meditating regularly allows you to have an open dialogue with your mind without judgment and emotional reaction. So when you notice your mind wandering, just bring it back into focus. Now, In order to meditate, once you're in that comfortable position, first inhale to the count of 4, then you hold the breath for 7 beats, and then you release for 4 seconds. As you release your breath, feel the air make its way out of your lungs and nose and concentrate on the lightness in your chest. On each inhale and exhale, count for one breath. Repeat as necessary. Should only take you a few minutes to meditate, and with a little bit of practice, you could add this to your daily routine.
