One of the things I’d like to add into my daily routine is meditation. For me, it’s pretty much a hit or miss thing right now even though I know that it would do me so much good. And somehow I don’t think staring at the blank screen and wondering what to write qualifies.

Meditation has always been associated with feelings of peacefulness and well-being, and I don’t know about you but I can always use more of those feelings in my life. Experts say that taking even just ten or fifteen minutes a day to slow down and meditate can have great benefits. Here are a few ways that taking time to meditate can affect our lives:

1. Mediation makes a great stress reliever. If you can manage to relax and be peaceful for just fifteen minutes a day, the effects will be noticeable.

2. Meditation also can improve your physical health. Several studies have shown that meditation can improve overall health because lowering stress also helps to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.

3. Meditation helps you control your thoughts. A lot of stress comes from being unable to control our thoughts. Taking time to meditate helps to stop negative thoughts in their tracks.

4. Meditation also helps bring feeling of happiness and gratitude. By taking the time to reflect on all the good things in your life, you draw even more good things to you, which results in even more feelings of happiness and gratitude.

5. Meditation helps improve your concentration. When you can achieve peace of mind during meditation it will have an effect on how you live because when your mind is less stressed out, it is better able to concentrate on the important things in life.

These are just a few of the ways that meditating can help to reduce stress and improve your life. It may take some practice to develop the habit but allowing yourself fifteen minutes peace and relaxation is worth adding it to your daily routine.

I don’t know about you, but I find that during the holiday season, the closer it gets and the busier everyone gets, the more stressed out and short-tempered I get. There always seems to be somewhere to be, something that has to be done, and someone who wants a piece of my time. And I don’t have a big family!

It’s especially important for women to make sure that we take the time to take care of ourselves while we’re being pulled in ninety different directions every day. Even if you can only spare fifteen minutes, for yourself, there are lots of things you can do to let off a little stress. Here are fifteen of my favorite stress relief quickies:

1. Go for a walk
2. Meditate
3. Write in your journal
4. Find a friend to vent to if you need it
5. Take a bubble bath
6. Get a foot massage
7. Have a short nap
8. Get outside and take some nature pics (my favorite!)
9. Take a daily multivitamin
10. Go out for a coffee with a friend

Try one of these the next time you’re feeling like you need a break. And let me know in the comments how they work out for you, or if you have any stress relievers you’d like to share. I’m always open to new ideas.