Getting your Zen on is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Meditation is a self-care basic—it’s a free, soothing way to help get over a rough day by putting it in perspective, or to keep your mind fresh on the day ahead. You don’t need an appointment; you can take a quiet moment whenever the urge hits you.
Pressing pause on the endless chatter in your mind, especially when you’re over-the-top stressed and don’t think you could squeeze an extra second out of your to do list, is precisely the time you should, even if it’s just for a few minutes. The most powerful benefit of meditation is that it frees up wasteful energy to allow you to investigate and focus on what’s truly important to you, while setting aside problems or worries that no longer serve you.
Creating Mental Space
Meditation is known for its ability to create mental headspace. The power of a daily meditation routine teaches your mind to weed out your true problems from those that just aren’t worthy of your time. If you’re feeling calm, peaceful and reflective, it really does make a difference on your outlook on the day.
The space created by learning to prioritize problems allows you to focus on building a more fulfilling life for yourself. With less space devoted to the negative and unhelpful, you can now, for example, rekindle old hobbies that may have fallen by the wayside, listen more intently during conversations with friends or tackle new challenges and activities that you’ve always wanted to try, but never seemed to get around to. The newfound mental space that meditation cultivates enables you to be more mindful and deliberate in every aspect.
Creating Physical Space
Another added bonus of a regular meditation practice is its capacity for the mindfulness to extend into your home. Meditation can be used to create physical space in terms of minimalist, efficient décor, or just ridding your home of clutter. As your mind begins to make decisions about what is important, that easily translates to making a difference in the items you select to keep in your physical space. It is likely that a meditation routine will encourage you to become less materialistic, and only surround yourself with things that have significance to you.
An uncluttered, zen mind, also impacts daily habits, like tidying your room, or cleaning your kitchen. As you begin to move through your day more mindfully, you may realize that you don’t need seven pairs of jeans, because you really only wear one or two, or you may make a box for weekly donations, with books you’ve already read and clothes that no longer suit your style. Your new, uncluttered home will reflect your clear mindset.
Getting Started
As you begin to understand your true self during meditation, there are a few ways you can harness its benefits to make a positive and impactful change to create more space in your mind and home.
Use Technology
There are various apps or videos that use guided meditations to tackle specific problems and situations, like a fear of flying. By following along to the meditation before you step onto an airplane, for example, your mind will be empty of repetitive, negative thoughts, and clear to think ahead. You can often find meditations for all sorts of specific anxieties, or more general ones (the Wanderlust 21-Day Challenge is a great start!) to implement into your daily routine.
Take a Breathe
Before making a purchase, whether it’s another article of clothing, or a little item for your home, take a pause to consider if you need. Ask yourself if it will make your life more efficient or useful, or if it will just add to the noise.
Meditate on It
When a problem arises that is causing you stress or agita, take a moment to sit with the feeling quietly. Chances are, after meditating on the issue, not only will you know what steps you need to take to solve it, but you’ll also be able to determine if it is truly worth your time.
Enjoying Your Space
The newfound space you’ve created for yourself, both in mind and home, will enable you to live a life with more freedom. Thanks to a fulfilling meditation practice, you will now have the time and the energy to tackle your to do list, volunteer to a cause that’s important to you, or learn a new hobby. You’ve decided for yourself what is worthy of your time and what needs to be weeded out, both internally and externally.
You may also have brand new ideas about what is essential to your life and well-being, and the strength to thoughtfully purge what is no longer serving you in a positive way. Through meditation, you’re allowing yourself to live a soothing, peaceful and balanced life, without the clutter.
Looking for more opportunities to meditate? Meditation teacher Light Watkins is headlining this year at Wanderlust O’ahu, March 1-4. Click here for more information!
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Kaitlin Clark is a freelance beauty, wellness and lifestyle writer based in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in Lucky, Domino, Racked, and Stylecaster, among others. Follow her on IG @KaitnotKate.