I Wake Up Happy: How Meditation Changed My Life

I used to wake up anxious. Afraid I was gonna lose something. What I don’t know. I was afraid I didn’t have enough and that I wasn’t enough.

Now, I wake up with so much peace!!! 🙌

Meditation has truly transformed my life. I first began to notice this in my self-talk. At first it was negative and completely harsh.

Today, my inner dialogue has completely changed…

She, the voice is so loving, kind, and always gently reminds me that I’m doing a great job. I appreciate me for that! Took a long time to get here but I am here! And this is my new normal 🙌🏾

My meditation journey began by practicing mindfulness which can be considered a type or a component of your meditation practice but since then my meditation journey has taken many forms. There’s been a meditative evolution.

My therapist at the time referred me to this workbook: A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook

Mindfulness helped me to identify the root of my anxiety. I started to ask myself questions like why do you feel that way, is that true, is that really what that person said. I was also able to identify my triggers and why I was being triggered. I could in many situations make room for my feelings and my anxiety beforehand so I could be more present in the moment.

For example, if I knew I had an important meeting coming up I would take the time to outline the things I wanted to address as well as set aside time to complete decompress prior to the upcoming meeting.

Through practicing mindfulness, I became more aware of my habits and patterns. In most cases, our anxiety are reoccurring thought patterns that invoke a fight or flight response.

I used meditation to acknowledge those thoughts and not fight them. The more you try to push them down the more they run rampant.

There is a misconception about meditation that you must quiet your mind. You will drive yourself crazy and make yourself more anxious by trying to empty your mind.

I once heard someone say trying to empty your mind of thought is the equate of expecting your heart to stop beating at command.

It’s impossible!

The mind is made to think. You can read more about this in Stress Less, Accomplish More: Meditation for Extraordinary Performance.

Meditation can be used to acknowledge those thoughts and teach your mind to have new ones.

I’ve been utilizing meditation as a tool to manage my anxiety for about 3 years now.

When I first started incorporating meditation I was having 2-3 panic attacks a night. They were nocturnal panic attacks that would wake me out of my sleep. Not only did I have to make room for my anxiety, but I had to teach my body how to calm down. This required me to incorporate physical activity to dissipate the anxious energy or to transmute the energy into a more positive form.

I’ve learned to surrender to my meditation experience. It’s free to be what it needs to be in each session. Sometimes, I need a walking meditation. There are times where simply thinking or writing what I’m thankful for leads me into meditation.

Other times, I can’t even start my meditation until I journal. But then there are other times where I can sit right down in criss-cross apple sauce with an open heart and quiet mind.

I started with guided meditations on the Calm app. I then graduated to open-minded mediations where there is a bell at either 2 or 5 minutes as mindfulness reminders.

Meditation is truly a life-changing transcendent practice. I’ve learned to use it as more of a tool to re-training or completely reprogramming my brain and body by utilizing visualization, positive affirmations, and binaural beat.

The main difference, I’ve seen is it used to take me an hour or two each morning to wind myself up.

Now, I wake up happy!

It’s easier to set my intentions and expectations for the day with ease and with positivity.

I’m undeniably more present with more a mental bandwidth. I’m definitely less emotionally reactive. I’m first an observer of my being.

Have you tried meditation? What are some differences that you’ve noticed?