Holiday self-reflection
The Jewish New Year is upon us. This is a time when I like to think about how I can be a better person. We should take time for self-reflection. To remind ourselves of what is truly important in life, and think about how we can be a better person in the year to come. With all that happens in life, sometimes it takes a holiday like this to wake you up, make you get present, and face your truth.Introspection is an important part of staying healthy. Getting caught up in the daily grind is far too easy. And when it comes down to what really matters, the more real we can be, the healthier we become.
This self reflection is meditation.
In a search through the National Library of the National Institute of Health, mindfulness meditation returns nearly 1500 research articles. The importance of self-reflection has become more mainstream recently, largely because the positive benefits are hard to ignore.
Managing Your Stress
The fact of the matter is that stress is unavoidable. But, the way in which you experience stress is subjective. The same stressor can be perceived differently depending on the circumstances or meaning assigned to the stressor. This depends on both our own internal resources and our varying perspectives. Strengthening those resources and changing our perspective consciously can be a buffer against the effects of unavoidable stress.
We have a tremendous amount of control over ourselves, mentally and physically. Spending time to get present and take stock of your values, your actions, and your beliefs can be profoundly helpful in how you manage your stress. Your overall outlook on life can change when you think about what is truly important, and you allow yourself to let go of the rest.
This Jewish holiday is meaningful to me, because it is a time of year that I cannot push aside this task. When this holiday comes, I sit and think about those I have wronged. I apologize for the traits that I have adopted out of selfishness and pride. I reframe my thought patterns to allow room for me to make more meaningful actions. To act from my heart rather than from my head. And remember to be the person that I actually want to be.
Then, acting as my true self, I can let go of the daily grind and embrace my fellow humans with love.
