How To Use Guided Meditation To Improve Your Life

How To Use Guided Meditation To Improve Your Life

Get ready to learn all that guided meditation has to offer.

If we desire to learn to better manage our stress and take care of ourselves, we may find it beneficial to develop a meditation practice. So let’s break down what guided meditation is, specifically, and ways to incorporate the practice into our own lives. Keep reading for meditation videos and resources that can help you create a meditation practice or enrich your current practice.

Before we narrow down the specifics of guided meditation, let’s talk about the umbrella term, “Mindfulness Meditation.” Mindfulness is the practice of becoming aware of your thoughts, senses, and feelings in the present moment. Meditation is the art of achieving mental clarity, calmness, and stability. Combined, these allow us to mentally train our brains to become aware of ourselves in order to promote relaxation.

Meditation may often be a solo practice, but guided meditation gives us the leeway to be assisted (or guided) by someone else. While this form of meditation may be available in person, such as in therapy or yoga classes, guided meditations are more commonly found in the form of audio tapes and videos. Guided meditation is most often led by experienced practitioners who may use scripts, visualization techniques, imagery, or verbal guidance to engage the listener.

These types of meditations support our ability to feel our emotions, be honest with ourselves, focus on the present moment, instill calmness, reduce negative emotions, and gain concentration and perspective (Hanh, 2009). As you continue reading, you will encounter various types of guided meditations with several different benefits that target a variety of issues.

How To Practice Guided Meditation

Here is a brief step-by-step guide to help you get situated before beginning your guided meditation routine.

• Step 1: Find the time. I know this sounds simple, but as we try to balance the many facets of our lives, it can be difficult to set aside time to practice guided meditation. Whether it’s a quick break at work, spending a few fewer minutes in front of the TV or scrolling through social media, or maybe even during a nice bath, taking just a few minutes out of your day is essential to developing a meditative routine.

• Step 2: Locate a quiet place. This simple task can sometimes be difficult, especially if our work or home lives are surrounded by several coworkers or family members. Try finding a place where you have your own peaceful space for a few minutes before beginning your guided meditation.

• Step 3: Identify the video (or podcast) you would like to use. Several examples of guided meditations can be found below, but I would also gently encourage you to look through the thousands (if not millions) of videos online to find a few that interest you the most.

• Step 4: Sit in a comfortable position. Find a position where your body feels at ease so that your mind can settle into relaxation.

• Step 5: Press play and follow along. Once you’ve set up your space, now your job is to play the guided meditation and follow your guide’s instructions. If this is your very first time listening to a guided meditation, don’t worry if you find your mind wandering or feel like you’re having a hard time focusing. Do your best and make a habit of practicing your meditation, and you will get better at this practice as time goes on.​

Below you will find some videos that you can explore to find the one(s) that you like best. One that may work for you may not work for a loved one, and vice versa.

Guided Meditations With Affirmations

Psychological research tells us that affirmations can boost our self-confidence and self-esteem, allow us to focus on our goals, provide us the ability to change negative thoughts into positive ones, and elevate our mood and life outlook (Correll, Spencer, & Zanna, 2004).

What better way to practice meditation and tell ourselves positive affirmations other than by combining the two practices together?

https://youtu.be/2l8WD4U4KMk

Guided Meditations With Gratitude

Positive psychologists have found evidence that gratitude plays an important role in our well-being and a daily gratitude practice can be beneficial for several reasons. Gratitude may especially be helpful for experiencing happier and more positive emotions, dealing with life’s challenges, being more intentional with and appreciating our personal relationships, and improving illness (Emmons & Shelton, 2002). The extra good news is that cultivating gratitude can be combined with the benefits of meditation.

https://youtu.be/M6SHrfnaIoY

Guided Meditation For Nights ​

Maybe you’ve finished your nighttime routine but somehow you find yourself ruminating about your day and struggling to fall asleep. One potential solution for remedying sleep difficulties is meditating before bed. Meditation not only promotes calmness but has shown evidence of increasing melatonin (the hormone that regulates sleep) and reducing your heart rate, which can put you more at ease before your slumber (Black et al., 2015).

https://youtu.be/5itkfGLcb5E

​Hopefully, you now know a new method of relaxation to practice. So what are you waiting for? Take a breath and try a guided meditation today.

See more free guided meditations.

References

• Black, D. S., O’Reilly, G. A., Olmstead, R., Breen, E. C., & Irwin, M. R. (2015). Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA internal medicine, 175(4), 494-501.

• Correll, J., Spencer, S. J., & Zanna, M. P. (2004). An affirmed self and an open mind: Self-affirmation and sensitivity to argument strength. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40(3), 350-356.

• Emmons, R. A., & Shelton, C. M. (2002). Gratitude and the science of positive psychology. Handbook of positive psychology, 18, 459-471.

• Hanh, T. N. (2009). The Blooming of a Lotus: Revised Edition of the Classic Guided Meditation for Achieving the Miracle of Mindfulness [Revised edition] (p. 152). Beacon Press.

How to Build Life Skills

Discover the science behind life skills and examples of life skills for you to explore.

Have you ever wondered why some people get ahead and others do not? Have you noticed that the smartest people are rarely the ones in charge? That’s because “smarts” are just a small part of what is required for success. We also need to develop life skills, which include a mixture of psychological and behavioral skills. In this article, we’ll talk about what life skills are, provide examples of life skills, and talk about how to build the most important life skills.

What Are Life Skills?

Life skills can be defined as abilities that enable humans to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life. They may also be called psychosocial skills, as they are psychological in nature and include thinking and behavioral processes. Others define life skills as behavioral, cognitive, or interpersonal skills that enable individuals to succeed in various areas of life (Hodge, Danish, & Martin, 2013).

Life skills are often broken down into three types (​​Prajapati, Sharma, & Sharma, 2017):

• Thinking skills: This might involve being able to think of multiple solutions to a problem or develop new innovations in a creative way.

• Social skills: This might involve knowing how to develop healthy relationships, how to communicate in effective ways, and how to interact with others successfully.

• Emotional skills: This might involve being comfortable in your own skin, dealing with emotions effectively, and knowing who you are.

Research suggests that developing life skills may help reduce drug, alcohol, and tobacco use. It may also reduce aggression and violence (Botvin & Griffin, 2004). In addition to these bigger outcomes, life skills can just make life a bit easier. When we can regulate our emotions effectively and develop enduring, supportive relationships, we’re happier and healthier. This is why developing life skills is key not only to be successful in life, it’s key for our health and well-being.

Examples of Life Skills

According to several key organizations including UNICEF, UNESCO, and WHO, the following are the basic life skills (​​Prajapati, Sharma, & Sharma, 2017):

• Self-awareness

• Critical thinking

• Creative thinking

• Decision making

• Problem Solving

• Effective communication

• Interpersonal relationships

• Empathy

• Coping with stress

• Coping with emotion

Of course, these skills overlap, with each of them aiding and supporting the others. There may also be other life skills and there may be subcategories of life skills within each of these basic life skill types.

Building Life Skills

It is difficult to build life skills simply by reading about them. Building life skills often involves engaging in activities that require the skill. With time and practice, these activities help you get better at the given life skill. So, here are a few activities that can help you build life skills that lead to well-being.

• Loving-kindness meditation. Loving-kindness meditation is a type of meditation that focuses on imagining sending love to the self and others. It can help cultivate life skills like compassion, kindness, love, and other important relationship skills. You can try several loving-kindness meditations here.

• Gratitude journaling. Writing a journal with lists and stories of the things you’re grateful for is a great way to build your emotional coping skills. And, gratitude is one of those skills that actually sticks (Davis et al., 2016). Once you’ve built this skill, your brain can find it easier to be grateful even when you're not trying. Learn more about gratitude journaling here.

• Affirmations. Affirmations are when we say a positive statement, usually about ourselves, out loud. This can help us develop more positive feelings about ourselves, boost our confidence, and improve our sense of self-worth. You can learn how to do positive affirmations here.

Final Thoughts on Life Skills

There are so many life skills we could build that improve our lives. It can often be hard to know where to start. Generally, we benefit from building the skills we’re worst at—that way, we can see the biggest gains. But, if you’re having a hard time getting started, just pick something easy and enjoyable. Then you can move on to more difficult life skills later on.

References

• Botvin, G. J., & Griffin, K. W. (2004). Life skills training: Empirical findings and future directions. Journal of primary prevention, 25(2), 211-232.

• Davis, D. E., Choe, E., Meyers, J., Wade, N., Varjas, K., Gifford, A., ... & Worthington Jr, E. L. (2016). Thankful for the little things: A meta-analysis of gratitude interventions. Journal of counseling psychology, 63(1), 20.

• Hodge, K., Danish, S., & Martin, J. (2013). Developing a conceptual framework for life skills interventions. The Counseling Psychologist, 41(8), 1125-1152.

• Prajapati, R., Sharma, B., & Sharma, D. (2017). Significance of life skills education. Contemporary Issues in Education Research (CIER), 10(1), 1-6.

How To Build Interpersonal Skills

Find out why interpersonal skills are essential and how you can improve them.

Have you ever noticed that someone wasn't paying attention to what you said during a discussion? Or maybe you might have been forced to listen to someone’s rambling monologue while wondering when they would let you speak. In these examples, interpersonal skills were lacking.

Effective social interactions are vital for our careers, personal relationships, and life satisfaction. Furthermore, meaningful social interactions keep our brains healthier and our cognitive skills sharper as we get older (Kensinger & Gutchess, 2017; Ristau, 2011). Given how essential social interactions are, you may find it strange that some individuals can effortlessly handle any social situation whereas others struggle even with the most straightforward social behaviors. These variances in how people carry themselves in social circumstances result from differences in interpersonal skills.

Interpersonal skills are the competencies that allow you to interact effectively with other people and function well as a member of society. They enable you to exchange information with others, build connections, maintain relationships, and resolve conflicts.

Communicating well is vital in all aspects of life, may it be at home, school, or the workplace. At a personal level, poor interpersonal skills and miscommunication can cause unnecessary heartache, resentment, and stress. However, they can cause delays in projects and loss of resources, customers, and income at a workplace. In contrast, effective communicators are great at exchanging information at many levels; they talk eloquently, write well, and accurately identify bodily cues and gestures. Although many great communicators naturally excel in any social setting, others become great by improving their interpersonal skills, enabling them to communicate more effectively.

Key Interpersonal Skills

There are a host of interpersonal skills in the literature. This multitude reflects that these skills can be behavioral, cognitive, judgment-oriented, or attitude-based (Koenig, 2011). Furthermore, interpersonal skills build upon many dimensions, such as traditions, customs, gender roles, social expectations, and past experiences (Koenig, 2011). In short, there are multiple ways to classify interpersonal skills. Yet, many researchers generally use between two to four categories of essential interpersonal skills. These are communication-related, relationship-building, peer leadership, and social and behavioral agility skills.

1. Communication-related interpersonal skills:

• Verbal communication – the ability to express yourself clearly and precisely when speaking.

• Written communication – the ability to express yourself clearly, precisely, and concisely in written words.

• Nonverbal communication – the ability to express and decipher the meanings of bodily cues.

• Active listening – the ability to listen to others attentively while they talk.

• Information sharing – the ability to communicate relevant information with others around you and refrain from sharing unnecessary information or oversharing.

• Information gathering – the ability to sift through information and focus on what is useful or relevant.

2. Relationship building interpersonal skills:

• Cooperation – the ability to work with others or as part of a team.

• Courtesy – the ability to be supportive of and helpful to others you interact with.

• Amicability – the ability to behave in a pleasant, friendly, and approachable manner.

• Trust – the belief in the integrity, credibility, and reliability of others.

• Dependability – the ability to invoke trust in people you interact with and act in a way to be perceived that way.

• Empathy – the ability to understand and accept other people’s feelings, opinions, and experiences, even if they are different from yours. In other words, it is the skill you use when you put yourself in someone else’s shoes. It also includes the ability to respect diversity and to express interpersonal and intercultural sensitivity.

• Negotiation – the ability to come into agreement with others, and when necessary, to compromise.

• Conflict resolution – the ability to address disagreements constructively to reach solutions that you and all other involved individuals approve of.

3. Peer leadership interpersonal skills:

• Helping others – this ability is somewhat similar to courtesy but also incorporates your willingness to assist other people in achieving their life goals or improving their performance.

• Energizing others – the ability to motivate and empower people you interact or work with to stay on course toward reaching goals and desired outcomes.

• Rewarding others – the ability to appreciate the success of others and praise their efforts.

• Supervision – the ability to ensure that others are following rules and protocols

• Staffing – the ability to match individuals to appropriate roles. It includes the skill to identify the right person to ask for help.

• Serving as a role model – the ability to model desired behaviors that inspire others.

4. Social and behavioral agility skills:

• Social perception – the ability to read the room and understand the emotions and opinions of people around you.

• Self-perception – the ability to look inward and be aware of your own emotions, thoughts, and opinions.

• Self-presentation – the ability to maintain composure and manage your thoughts and emotions during social interactions.

• Social influence – the ability to guide and persuade people around you.

• Adaptability and flexibility – the ability to adjust your behaviors as a reaction to changes in social situations.

How to Build Interpersonal Skills ​

Here are a couple of fun activities you can use to build your interpersonal skills.

Body language game

This is an activity you can do while watching TV. That’s right! Simply find a movie or a TV show with interacting characters that you can rewind. Then mute your TV and observe how the actors use their body language for the next few minutes. Can you guess the moods they are conveying? Next, rewind to the spot where you started your observation and unmute your TV. Listen to the conversation and see if the mood and emotions match your body language observations. You can do this activity on your own or with your friends.

Communication role play

​This is another fun activity you can try with your friends. Each group member writes a neutral statement on a piece of paper. The statements can be about anything, and each paper shall contain only a single statement, such as “my bike has a flat tire” or “I need to buy cat food.” Fold these statement papers and put them inside a hat or a bag. Next, one person writes every emotion they can think of on individual pieces of paper, folds them, and places them inside another hat or bag. Then, two volunteers come out front. One of them pulls a piece of paper from each bag. She reads the statement aloud using the tone and body language that matches her emotional pick. The other volunteer responds as if it were a real discussion. After a few minutes of back-and-forth dialogue, the group members will guess the first volunteer’s emotion and discuss how the second volunteer reacted.

References

• Kensinger, E. A., & Gutchess, A. H. (2017). Cognitive aging in a social and affective context: Advances over the past 50 years. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 72(1), 61-70.

• Koenig, J. A. (2011). Assessing 21st century skills: Summary of a workshop. National Research Council.

• Ristau, S. (2011). People do need people: Social interaction boosts brain health in older age. Generations, 35(2), 70-76.