How to calm your anxious mind.

By Jamie Nonis

Did you know that most human beings think an average of 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day? And according to the National Science Foundation, up to 80% of these thoughts are negative while 95% are repeated thoughts from the day and days before.

That’s a pretty worrying statistic, if you ask me.

So, what’s a girl/boy/trans/non-binary/cisgender individual to do?

Well, imagine if we could redirect those 80% negative thoughts and transmute them into positive ones instead. Imagine how much our lives could change.

That’s why they say if we want to change our lives, it literally does start with changing our thoughts.

And that’s where meditation can really help not just calm the mind, but also help you take control of your thought machine and channel it more constructively and productively.

Experts recommend an average of 20 minutes of meditation a day, but even starting with just 5 minutes a day will be beneficial for your mental well-being.

I personally aim for 15 minutes a day, and I do the ‘Maranatha’ Christian meditation, which is a literal translation of “Come, our Lord” in Aramaic.

There are many secular forms of meditation out there that you can try. Just go with whichever speaks to you.

I also highly recommend the Calm app, which offers many powerful visualisation exercises, guided meditations and healing journeys. It has helped me tremendously and I hope you find it helpful too.

Lastly, be kind to yourself. Many people report being “unable to meditate” due to the restlessness of your mind and inability to sit still – and that’s the very reason why you should meditate!

It might be difficult at first but what you’re trying to do is to essentially train your “monkey mind”. So be patient with yourself and know that it will get easier with time.