Ambitious women love to go fast. We are always the ones out there taking on extra projects, going the extra mile, and sacrificing sleep and free time on our ride to the top.
There is nothing inherently wrong with hustling. However, when hustling is all that you do, and you never take a break, your body will eventually take one for you, in the form of extreme stress, exhaustion, or even burnout.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. This article will teach you a simple technique to help you prevent burnout, feel more focused, feel less stressed, and have sustainable success over the long-term.
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
One of my favorite techniques to keep your energy and ambition going strong, without burning out, is mindfulness meditation. An ambitious woman myself, I lived and worked as a psychotherapist at a mindfulness center for 1.5 years.
During this time, I practiced, learned, and taught about mindfulness, and saw people radically improve their relationship with themself, their mood, and recover from stress and burnout. Mindfulness helps you feel more calm, centered, and in control throughout the day.
Mindfulness meditation also helps you improve your relationship with your body and mind, enhances your focus, and gives you the “pause” you need to be able to succeed long-term.
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION: MISCONCEPTIONS AND MYTHS
There are a LOT of different types of meditation out there. Some involve past life visualizations, journeys through outer space, seeing white lights, or the attempt to make your mind go blank. While these meditations can be useful and appealing to some people, they’re not mindfulness.
Pure mindfulness meditation is a practice of paying attention to what’s going on in the present moment – thoughts, emotions, and sensations. You’re not supposed to trip our or reach enlightenment.
In fact, mindfulness makes you more firmly planted on the earth and in your body, and is a very useful tool for ambitious women to be in touch with themselves enough to take care of themselves, know what decisions are right or wrong for them, be intentional in how they spend their time, and ultimately succeed long-term, without stress.
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness meditation typically uses the breath as an anchor. This means that every time you notice your mind wandering or becoming distracted, you refocus your awareness to your breath.
Tune into your breath, without force or strain. When you get distracted, notice that, and refocus on the breath. That’s it. This is a simple concept to understand, but very challenging to master!
YOU DON’T SUCK… I PROMISE
One of the most common things I hear from the ambitious women I coach is that “I can’t stop thinking” and “I get distracted,” which then draws the conclusion “I just suck at this!“
But this is NOT the case! You don’t suck! Thoughts and distractions are actually PART of mindfulness! Every time you notice you’re having a thought, and bring it back to the breath, you’re doing it right.
In a typical mindfulness session, it’s common to do this dozen of times. Many people (myself included) sometimes struggle to focus on the breath for more than a second at a time! So if you notice your mind wander, it’s okay. You’re normal. Just stay present with the process, and you’re doing it!
HOW TO GET STARTED
If you’re just starting out, try to set aside 5 minutes per day. Only 5 minutes! You don’t need to do a full hour from the get-go… even though I know that as an ambitious young woman, you might be tempted to go all-in on the first try!
Just set a timer for 5 minutes, get comfortable, close your eyes, and bring your awareness to your breath.
Once you gain confidence and begin to enjoy it, you can increase the time. This is the most effective way to make mindfulness a part of your daily life, without getting discouraged or dreading it.
After you finish, notice how you feel. Many people report feeling more focused, relaxed, and intentional, and the benefits can even last for hours, and even ripple out to the rest of your day. Making a mental note of how good you feel will make you more likely to do it again.
MAKE MINDFULNESS YOUR NEW SUPERPOWER
I will soon be releasing FREE guided meditation tracks. These are specifically designed to help ambitious young people reach their full potential without stress or overwhelm.
If you’re interested, click the link to my website under my bio on Women on Topp or click the link on my Instagram account to download my free guide and be the first to know when they are released.
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