Self-care tips for Introverts: meditation

Many of us introverts, like peace and quiet. We usually frown upon loud and busy places, which can quickly drain our energies only to arrive home completely exhausted and with lots of noise in our heads.

On contrary, when we are in a peaceful environment, like at home, our minds often races. Ideas, to dos, plans, dreams rushing through our heads, and while many of us find this enjoyable or even inspiring, let's face it: our minds get full at a certain moment.

Overthinking, a typical pitfall of introverts, often overtakes such peaceful moments of mine. I keep thinking about a recent issue, or things that are annoying me. It all just plays on repeat in my mind, reliving the moment, often without any resolution or relief.

At the same time, us introverts have a tendency to project calmness that roots from our inner peace. We are able to deeply concentrate on a particular activity which may allows us to - after some practice - easily quiet our busy minds and just be.

According to the Mayo Clinic: Meditation is a type of mind-body practice that involves focusing attention and eliminating the stream of thoughts that may crowd the mind, to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. (Source: Mayo Clinic, Meditation: A Simple, Fast Way to Reduce Stress) According to the article, meditation can help to reduce stress, improve concentration, enhance emotional health, promote self-awareness, improve sleep, and potentially reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Meditation as a self-care tip for Introverts

While there is an abundance of types and varieties of meditation, if you've never tried it before, it is wise to start simple. You really don't need too much for a good meditation session, just a few spare minutes and undisturbed environment, where you can get comfortable and feel safe.

A good option is to follow a guided meditation of body scanning. It is a nice way to consciously exclude any wandering thoughts by focusing on the voice guiding you through sensing all parts of your body. It allows you to practice mindfulness, sense and release of any tension in your body and actively quiet your mind.

Another way to start practicing meditation is by a guided breathing session. Focusing on breathing is just another great way to concentrate your attention on yourself and away from the worries and spinning thoughts.

At first it might feel strange and you may find your thoughts wandering away, returning to the worries of the day or just spinning around the menu for tonight's dinner. That's OK. As you practice, it will get easier to focus your attention and get the most out of the relaxing time you allow yourself. It is recommended to practice meditation regularly, daily even, for its maximum benefit. It can be just a few minutes before going to bed, or starting the day with a meditation to set intentions.

As you get more experience, you might want to try a mantra mediation or a meditation with affirmations.

I invite you to try as many forms, lengths and types, as you can to find what's working best for you. Ultimately what matters is that you have given some peace and quiet to your ever racing mind and let the worries and concerns of the day fly away for those minutes - at that time only the present moment matters.

In a later blog post, I will recommend a mobile app that is just perfect for meditation ;)