While rewarding, the role of caregiver for a child with intellectual and developmental disabilities comes with many challenges. Those challenges, from navigating the bureaucracy of accessing resources, to behavior concerns, or even disagreements regarding treatment, can cause great stress. Repeated stress, on a daily basis, can lead to burnout. To help alleviate that stress, give meditation a try.
Meditation techniques vary. There are literally thousands! Below are 5 popular, practical options. Choose one or more ways to incorporate meditation into your life as a means of decompressing and centering yourself when needed.
Mindfulness – Practicing mindfulness can take place while engaging in the most usual tasks: walking, running, listening to music, gardening, cleaning and more. Slowing down and focusing intentionally on each movement, each sound, each moment, transforms a mundane event into a meditative one.
Mindfulness Meditation – While focusing on your point of attention, your thoughts may wander. This is normal and OK. Through mindfulness meditation, acknowledge those changing thoughts and gently return your attention to your intended focus.
Concentration Meditation – Concentration meditation requires you to focus your attention on a single object, whether that’s a candle flame, an image, a mantra, or even your breath. While inhaling and exhaling, direct all of your attention there.
Transcendental Meditation – Transcendental meditation practiced twice a day for twenty minutes each time offers several science-backed benefits, like lower stress and anxiety levels, greater productivity, and improved health. The technique only requires you to sit comfortably, with your eyes closed, and breathe. No concentrating, focusing, or mental monitoring required. To learn more, check out this interview on Good Morning America with comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Bob Roth, a teacher of the meditation technique.
Walking Meditation – While many meditation techniques require sitting down, walking meditation allows for you to remain on your feet. Steps of an intentional, slow and deliberate walk can be found here. Additionally, you can take the time whenever you’re walking to bring awareness to the present moment and to the present movements and sensations that come about during the promenade.
What other ways do you incorporate meditation as part of your self-care routine?