The Best Way to Combat Cold and Flu Season is to Meditate

With cold and flu season upon us, it’s more important than ever to look out for your health—but it can be hard to keep your mind off the sniffles when you’re trying to relax with your favorite TV show or book. The solution? Meditation! When you meditate, you clear your mind of stress and negative emotions that make you feel like you’re coming down with something—allowing your body to work its natural immune system magic and get rid of any viruses or bacteria that might be trying to take hold in your body.

On Health

One of the easiest ways to improve your health in pandemic times is to incorporate meditation into your daily routine. While there are many kinds of meditation, all forms work by reducing stress levels—stress that can cause inflammation and can lead to a variety of health problems. Meditation also helps you learn how your body speaks to your mind, which can have a great effect on how effectively you deal with cold and flu season’s potential symptoms.

How Meditation Can Help

With cold and flu season upon us, it’s more important than ever to look out for your health—but it can be hard to keep your mind off the sniffles when you’re trying to relax with your favorite TV show or book. The solution? Meditation! A study published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity found that people who meditated lessened their risk of catching a cold or flu by 48%. Meditation increases immunity; deep breathing increases oxygen intake, which boosts white blood cell production.

The Power of Focused Breathing

When you meditate, you focus on your breathing—and you spend a lot less time thinking about how much your body hurts. Doing so can reduce stress and help reduce inflammation in your body. It can also give you an outlet for healing while fighting off colds or flus. So whether it’s during a commercial break or just before bed, try taking some deep breaths; it’ll do wonders for your health during cold and flu season.

Meditation Should Be Enjoyable

If you’re using meditation as a way to cope with your cold or flu symptoms, it’s important that it be something you actually enjoy. Otherwise, you risk getting even more frustrated when you feel sick—which will likely make your symptoms worse.

Pick a Time and Place That Are Comfortable

Whether you choose a guided or unguided meditation, setting aside time to meditate each day will help clear your mind, boost your mood, lower stress levels, and improve your physical health. It’s all about finding a time that works for you: Some people prefer to meditate in bed right before bedtime; others like to do it first thing in the morning. Either way, make sure it’s comfortable—turn off any distracting sounds or open windows that may be letting in noise.

Set Aside Time Daily

With cold and flu season upon us, it’s more important than ever to look out for your health—but it can be hard to keep your mind off the sniffles when you’re trying to relax with your favorite TV show or book. The solution? Meditation! When you meditate, make sure you set aside time each day. You don’t have to limit yourself: If you can fit in 10 minutes here and there, that’s great!

Keep It Simple - Start With One Technique

Meditation can help fight colds, reduce inflammation, relieve stress, and boost immunity—and it only takes a few minutes a day. Find a quiet place where you can focus without distraction, or sit up in bed with your eyes closed. When you’re ready to begin meditating, choose one of these techniques

Approach with an Open Mind

When you meditate, you aren’t just sitting still in one position for a few minutes. It actually requires quite a bit of mental effort—you’re actively trying to clear your mind of thoughts and think about nothingness. If you approach meditation with an open mind, you may be surprised at how relaxing it can be; soon enough, it might even help keep those pesky sniffles away!

Take Your Mind Off Yourself

With cold and flu season upon us, it’s more important than ever to look out for your health—but it can be hard to keep your mind off the sniffles when you’re trying to relax with your favorite TV show or book. The solution? Meditation! While meditating, you breathe deeply while focusing on a repetitive thought or sound (like a mantra) so that when your mind wanders from its focus, you gently bring it back without judgment.

Have Fun!

Fun might be overrated, but there’s no denying that a little levity goes a long way. The next time you feel that cold or flu coming on, clear your mind and fight it by meditating—it can be hard to focus on your symptoms when you’re worrying about how much work you have left, or whether you really need another pair of boots.

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