Guided Meditations To Relieve Stress, Anxiety & Help You Sleep Better

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it’s far too easy to get caught up in the grind of work, school & study, where routine can turn into a mental groundhog day. It feels like the same thing each day and either nothing is changing - or it's all change, all the time!

This is especially so in the tech industry where we can never learn it all, and there's always something new. This feeling can keep you up at night, you second guess yourself, and it all works together to create more and more anxiety.

But the reality is that we become so focused on striving towards our future goals, that we lose sight of what we need to learn and what we can skip, and we miss all the improvements and progress that we’re making along the way.

The trick to succeeding in such a fast-paced environment is:

• Know what you need to learn, and what to skip
• Do the work
• Track your efforts
• Measure the results
• And be content in the process and your progress

However, that’s easier said than done, and this is where meditation can help.

We’ve talked before about how important meditation is vital for anyone in tech (or any high performance role), and how it can help you perform better, deal with stress, and even land your dream job.

Today we’re going to look at a specific type of meditation called ‘gratitude meditation’, and how it can help you stay the course when doing something difficult - such as learning how to code, or picking up new tools.

What is gratitude meditation?

Gratitude meditation is all about personal reflection and appreciation for the events in our lives - both good and bad, large or small.

For example

Perhaps you finished a project and got a raise? Both of which are obviously great things but sometimes you can also look at the ‘bad’ in that moment.

How?

'Bad' framing: maybe you're annoyed and frustrated because the project was especially difficult and you had to put a lot of extra hours to learn a new framework to complete the project.

Grateful framing: On the flipside, you could look at this and realize that now you’re not only more skilled, you also learned how to pick up new things under pressure - both are things which can help you in the future. So you're grateful that you had the opportunity to work on this challenging project which helped you gain valuable skills.

See the difference?

It can seem like it's just being positive for no reason, but practicing gratitude on a daily and weekly basis actually holds numerous mental and emotional benefits.

8 benefits of practicing daily gratitude

1. Increased Happiness: Expressing gratitude helps us focus on the good in our lives. It creates a sense of contentment, which leads to greater happiness and life satisfaction
2. Improved Mental Health: Gratitude can improve overall mental health by reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. It promotes a more optimistic outlook, enhances resilience, and encourages emotional well-being. (It’s very hard to be negative while also thinking about all the things you’re happy and thankful for)
3. More Fulfilling Relationships: When we express gratitude towards others, it strengthens our relationships and deepens our connections. Showing appreciation fosters a sense of mutual respect, trust, and empathy, leading to healthier and deeper connections with those around us
4. Better Physical Health: Studies suggest that practicing gratitude can have physical health benefits, such as better sleep quality, reduced blood pressure, and stronger immune function. When you are grateful, you also tend to make healthier lifestyle choices, such as engaging in exercise and self-care
5. Increased Resilience: Gratitude helps us develop resilience by seeing challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth. It can assist us in finding meaning and purpose even in the most difficult of circumstances. (Just like that project I mentioned earlier)
6. Deeper Presence: Gratitude practices help us to savor the present moment. Being mindful of what we have to be grateful for right now, leads to a greater sense of well-being and grounding
7. Change in Perspective: Practicing gratitude can shift our outlook on life. It serves as a daily reminder of the abundance and blessings we already have and teaches us to stop comparing ourselves to others. As they say, comparison is the thief of joy. With a shift in mindset, we can go from scarcity and negativity to optimism and appreciation
8. Increased Self-Esteem: Cultivating gratitude can greatly enhance your feeling of self-worth. Recognizing and appreciating our own strengths, accomplishments, and virtues encourages a healthy self-image and even promotes self-compassion. After all, we are only human and aren’t immune to making mistakes! Gratitude can help us forgive ourselves for our own shortcomings

Obviously all these benefits are awesome, but how do you get started? Heck… how do you add this in, when you already have so many other things going on in your life?

Well, less than 10 minutes a day can influence your entire mental course towards a more positive one. The trick is to start small, keep it simple, and then build that habit, which is why I’ve recorded 7 guided meditations for you.

Just listen to one each day, follow the recording, and start seeing improvements in your life.

Note: These recordings are part of a 7-day bonus challenege in my learn to meditate course. It's the perfect first step to improve your soft skills and deal with stress, boost productivity, become a better learner, and an all around awesome human!

You can check out the entire course via the link above, or click through below and watch the first meditation for free before joining.

With that out of the way, here’s a quick overview of each video in this 7 day gratitude meditation series.

Day #1: Thank yourself for being here now

We have to know where we are now, to know where we’re going.

With that in mind, we kick start our week by giving gratitude for being here right now and for the start of a new and inspiring journey.

You can listen along to this first meditation here for free and get started right now.

Go ahead and give it a try! You’ll be surprised how much better you feel.

Day #2: Give love to receive love meditation

Yesterday, we focused on giving appreciation to ourselves, but today we’ll focus on offering up appreciation for others. After all, “It’s not where you are in life, it’s who you have by your side that matters.”

So Day 2 of your gratitude journey will help you channel your love and appreciation to another so that you can receive it right back.

ZTM members can check out the meditation here.

Day #3: There's no place like home

On Day 3 of our week-long gratitude journey, we focus on cultivating love and appreciation for the place we call home. As they say, “Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong, and laughter never ends.”

ZTM members can check out the meditation here.

Day #4: Finding love and appreciation for your body

In our last gratitude practice we focused on our outer home. Today, we focus on our inner one, our magnificent body which houses our spirit and soul.

Day 4 of our journey will leave you feeling a deep sense of appreciation from head to toe.

ZTM members can check out the meditation here.

Day #5: Revel in your creative nature

In Day 5 of our gratitude journey, you will focus on the many ways in which creativity enhances your life, while also expanding your definition of what it means to be creative.

ZTM members can check out the meditation here.

Day #6: Celebrate your freedom

Today you will explore the freedom you enjoy in all its unique forms, as you reflect upon your own personal liberties and how they have opened up opportunities in your own life.

ZTM members can check out the meditation here.

Day #7: The best is yet to come

We conclude the final leg of our journey by giving thanks for what is yet to come and in doing so, bringing what we desire closer to us.

ZTM members can check out the meditation here.

So what are you waiting for? Start meditating today!

As you can see, you don’t need to totally change your life to start meditating. But by starting to meditate you can totally change your life!

All you need is just a few minutes per day, so why not join me in this 7 day series? All the videos are live now.

Listen to the first today and then come back tomorrow. Simple!

Top tip: It’s best to listen to each of these recordings at the same time each day, so that you can build up a habit.

I recommend first thing in the morning as they will help set the tone of your day positively, but anytime is better than no time at all.

Have more free time in the evenings? Perfect! Do it at night and help yourself get rested and ready for sleep.

It doesn’t need to be perfect to start - just that you do start. Find what works for you, even if that means fitting your meditation in between sprints!

So what are you waiting for? Try out the first meditation here for free.

Then if you like that, join the course and get access to the entire week of meditations, as well as every other course here at ZTM.

What have you got to lose!?