There are a lot of ways that I could go about writing this blog post. I could breakdown all the research behind the benefits of mindfulness, but sometimes advance studies can seem a bit far fetched. Maybe it’s because for us in the real world, we don’t have someone telling us we have to show up at this time, to do such thing, for weeks to reap the benefits. So instead I wanted to share a little bit about my story with mindfulness meditation and how it changed my life in small ways that made lasting impacts.
Where It Started
My husband and I were completing an away rotation in Sacramento (away rotations are essentially a month long interview that future doctors have to go through). He was working 21+ hours, completely exhausted all the time, stress levels were starting to pile up, and I could tell he was on the path towards burnout. I only knew this because I myself experienced career burnout about three years prior. It was then when I started to dive into the research of “ways to manage stress“.
I stumbled upon a university’s page about mindfulness & the benefits of slowing down. The deeper I dove the more research I was exposed too. They discussed elements like neuroplasticity (reshaping of the brain), belly breathing, lowering your stress hormones, an increase in self-compassion & empathy.
Finding An Answer
While entrepreneurship is nothing compared to getting your medical licenses; it does have very similar components in terms of stress levels. Imposter syndrome, hustling, instability in schedule, finances, etc… Being a small business owner of ten years along with having a spouse in medical school, I was fully immersed in stress so I figured I would try out mindfulness meditation to see if I found any benefits. I started out small, 10 minutes of guided meditation here, completing body scans, mindful walking on my own and before I knew it I found my nervous system was regulating differently.
I noticed it with small things that used to set me off. Steven’s alarm was extremely loud when it would go off, when I would hear I would feel a shock wave through my entire body. After about three weeks of meditating, his alarm went off at 3am and instead of this overwhelming shock, my eyes opened gently and once he was up I fell back asleep. This may not seem like a big deal however I realized my body was no longer in an intense state of stress. My fight or flight response was way down because my brain was able to stop and process that I was in no danger & I could simply go back to sleep.
It’s More Than A Passion
Stress is all around us, however we have been in the habit of living in constant chaos. We find that we have to be always going, always hustling, be better, do more, do better… All at the expense of ourselves. More is possible for us… We actually deserve a lot more than we are giving ourselves. As a certified mindfulness instructor I have made it my life’s passion to show others the power in slowing down.
“Mindfulness is slowing down enough to be fully present in the moment, and greet the experience with grace, kindness, and from a place of curiosity. “
The power of slowing down invites the mind to find ease & our bodies to find calm. If you are wanting to take some time for you, schedule a free zoom call with me. I will walk you through what mindfulness is, how it can help find clarity, focus, and calmness along with giving you a taste of what mindfulness looks like.
In gratitude,
Han
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