A few years ago, I used to wake up late, scramble for something to wear, have a coffee whilst listening to the morning news and then get on with my day. In other words, I had gone straight from dream world to stress world without any gentle transition. Although I got things done I felt disjointed, with thoughts racing through my head randomly with no off button. I believe this is how most of us operate.

This all changed when I started to meditate. I calmed down, and so did my thoughts. Feelings of peace and ease became present in my life. Of course life is not perfect, things still happen that annoys me and throws me off balance, but meditation has certainly helped me to be more present and chilled. Some battles are not worth fighting but peace of mind is.

In order to reap the benefits of meditation, it is helpful to establish some sort of regular practice, a ritual. Some find the space to meditate in the morning, others at night and some whenever they get a chance. Got a scary meeting? Head off to the loo for five minutes, breathe deeply and try to not engage with the thoughts going through your head. Find the space between your thoughts and sit silently for as long as feasible. Mantras work, so does guided meditations. Find what works for you – YouTube is an amazing free source for meditations. Try a few and get going!

These days I go nowhere without my headphones. I set an alarm to ensure I have the time for my morning ritual of a 20 minute guided meditation followed by a green juice. I avoid the news first thing and I give myself plenty of time to just get started with my day. Even if I’m tired when the alarm goes off, I know the energy I get from this little extra half hour of meditation and juicing gives me a much longer lasting feeling of energy than an extra half hour in bed. Happy Monday. X