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In our world of constantly staying connected, the 24 hours, always available news cycle, and the expectation to answer emails promptly, it is no wonder that Americans are feeling more stressed-out than ever before. According to The American Institute of Stress, about 33% of people claim to experience extreme stress. About 73% of people claiming that stress affects their mental and/or physical health. It is not an unreasonable question, then, for a person to wonder how they can work at reducing stress. Here at modernzen.org, we can help you to achieve this goal. While increasing your confidence in yourself, through a variety of methods, such as learning how to say no, practicing meditation, and other activities. First, we need to cover some other ways that you can reduce the stress that may not involve meditation, but are just as vital to improving overall mental health. We will run through some organizational tips that can help you to sort out your life. So you can see where your problems lie and achieve mental clarity. Just Say "No" The phrase, "Just say no." is more than an anti-drug slogan from the '80s. It can also help you in your mental health. You may find yourself overwhelmed with the list of activities that you have to do. Then you should take time to organize them. Write them down in a list, and see the things you have to do in front of you. After that sort them into three distinct sections. 1. starting with those that are most important and that you need to do today. 2. then those that can afford to wait until tomorrow or later in the week. 3. then those that are not important to you at all. Have the list of things organized. It can help you to understand which is most important to you right now, and which are not important at all. This means you can reject those projects that you may find are not worth the effort and can get rid of them as you see fit. This does mean learning to say no to those people and places that you thought were once important, but upon further reflection, proved to be unimportant. It may seem difficult at first, to turn down your prior commitments to your friends, loved ones, and even yourself. But once you sort out what is important in your life, then you can complete the first step to inner peace. Setting Boundaries When it comes to finding inner peace, you must be able to set boundaries for yourself. Especially between your work and home life. This means making sure to have a set time when you are going to leave work, and making sure that you have an automated email that is sent to any incoming people that you will get back to them as soon as possible, during business hours. Another example would be to leave your laptop at work during the workweek, literally preventing you from answering work-related messages during the night. These things may seem small, but in our world where we are expected to be connected 24/7 to our technology, this is a huge step towards reducing stress, and opening up yourself to be mindful of the world around you, and not just your work. Meditation This is the next step you should take when it comes to reducing stress and practicing mindfulness. When it comes to meditation, there are many people who believe that it is for monks who live far off in mountains and that it has no place in our modern-day environment. Nothing could be further from the truth. Meditation is something that anyone of any get can practice and find benefits from in the form of reduced stress. Most people today may feel that meditation is something so advanced that they cannot fathom being able to do it all alone. Thankfully, meditation is not difficult, and can be practiced in a variety of places, and at a variety of times. For those people who are not confident in their skills of meditation, you can find guided meditations that will help you to achieve less stress in your overall life. If you want a more comprehensive guide to guided meditation, you can find one here: https://modernzen.org/zen-meditation/guided-meditation/ Suffice to say, the goal of meditation is to reduce stress by becoming relaxed and be more in tune with your inner self. If you can not meditate yourself, then you can find many guides here on our website at the link above. Zen Meditation Zen meditation is when a person focuses inward, to see their thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a more subjective light. for the best way to reduce stress, and identify what the problems or issues in your life are, meditation and looking inward are key. To get the best benefit out of this you must meditate daily. This can help you to understand how you change every day and what your weaknesses are, and which helps you to avoid stressful situations and reactions. For more information about zen meditation, check out the following link: https://modernzen.org/zen-meditation/ Necessary Equipment There are a few things that you will need before you get started meditating. One thing would be someplace quiet where you know you will not be disturbed for a period of time. This is necessary for the proper amount of personal reflection to take place. If you cannot find a place quiet enough, then investing in some noise-canceling earbuds or headphones would be a wise choice. Next, you need to have a comfortable place to sit. A simple chair, bed, or pillow will do. However, if you really want a nice experience, we recommend a meditation cushion, as it is comfortable enough that you can stay in the zone, but not so comfortable that you become sleepy. This is where a meditation cushion comes in handy. For more information on meditation cushions, look on this page at our site. Conclusion Overall, many people may want to reduce their stress, and practice being more attentive to themselves and those around them, but may not know where to begin. We hope that with the help of this article, you can now begin on your journey of meditation to self-reflection.