Cultivate Wellbeing: Meditation Practice, Compassion and Gratitude Journal

Introduction

In our fast-paced lives, it’s easy to overlook the simple practices that can significantly impact our happiness. At Meditation in the Workplace, and while developing the Take3Breaths app, we have developed the MET approach to wellbeing, which combines three powerful elements—Meditation, Empathy, and Thankfulness—to help you achieve a higher degree of happiness and emotional balance. Incorporating a daily practice into everyday life can elavate a person's suffering and help you reflect, become more aware and enable you to express gratitude to your loved ones more easily. Everyone makes mistakes, it's a common humanity trait, and by cultivating compassion and practicing mindfulness we can become more resilient in facing challenges and navigating through difficult situations with grace and understanding.

MET is easy to remember, just think “I MET You” or “You MET Me”. This playful twist and aide memoir emphasise that practicing Meditation, Empathy, and Thankfulness is a way to truly connect with others. Why is feeling connected so crucial? In simple words, it gives us a sense of belonging, fights loneliness and changes our perspective through shared experiencess and thoughts.

Let’s explore each component:

1. Meditation

Meditation is more than just sitting cross-legged and chanting “Om.” It’s about creating a quiet space within yourself, away from the noise of daily life. Here’s how you can incorporate meditation into your routine:

• Mindfulness Meditation: Choose one of the meditations in the Take3Breaths app to practice being fully present in the moment. Focus on your breath, sensations, and thoughts without judgment. Research shows that mindfulness meditation reduces stress, anxiety, and improves overall well-being1.

Mindfulness meditation, particularly the practice of being fully present in the moment, serves as an excellent starting point for beginners. Starting with mindfulness meditation cultivates presence, self-awareness, and relaxation. It’s a gentle introduction to the transformative world of meditation. From my experience as a meditation teacher I recommend a ‘Body Scan’ meditation or, particularly if you have problems sleeping, ‘Yoga Nidra’, as good meditations to start your practice.

• Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta): Try the Loving-Kindness meditation in the Take3Breaths app to cultivate compassion and goodwill toward yourself and others. Send out positive intentions and wishes. Loving-kindness meditation enhances empathy and fosters positive emotions2.

The Loving Kindness meditation is another good place to start your meditation journey because it transforms our inner landscape, making us more compassionate, resilient, and connected. By cultivating loving-kindness, we create a ripple effect of positivity in our lives and the world around us. It helps keep our mental health in check and increase our self esteem. People who practice meditation are less likely to feel overwhelmed or have negative thoughts.

As a meditation teacher I encourage students to explore different types of meditation so that students find the techniques that work best for them. As with most things we get better with practice, but many students struggle with some forms of meditation practices. For example, I personally struggle with visualisation meditation, whereas I find mantra meditation far easier. Fortunately, the Take3breaths app offers guided meditations that allow users to experience and practice many different meditation techniques.

2. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. When we connect with empathy, we create deeper connections and contribute to our own well-being:

• Active Listening: Truly listen to others without interrupting or judging. Understand their perspectives and emotions. Empathy strengthens relationships and promotes emotional resilience.

• Compassion Practice: Extend kindness to those around you. Small acts of compassion—whether it’s a smile, a helping hand, or a heartfelt conversation—nourish your soul and elevate your well-being.

Empathy aligns with the practice of loving-kindness (metta). As a meditation teacher I encourage students to extend compassion not only to themselves but also to others. It’s important that we hold space for each person’s unique journey, recognising that the path to inner peace is paved with empathy and self-compassion practice.

It’s important that we also learn to embrace imperfection. Empathy acknowledges imperfection. Meditation isn’t about achieving perfection or enlightenment overnight. It’s about celebrating our small victories—a moment of stillness, a compassionate thought—as signs of progress. We need not and shouldn’t be self-critical, and instead show self kindness to ourselves and include more positive emotions in our daily thoughts. Human beings are prone to self-criticism and negative self-talk, and that's what is usually holding as back from achieving great things in life. Practicing self-compassion is the first step to loving ourselves and extending kindness to others as well.

3. Thankfulness

Thankfulness is a powerful emotion that transforms our outlook on life. When we practice thankfulness or gratitude, we shift our focus from what’s lacking to what we have:

• Gratitude Journal: Write down three things you’re thankful for each day. It could be as simple as a warm cup of tea or a supportive friend. Gratitude rewires our brains for positivity and boosts overall happiness3.

• Express Appreciation: Don’t wait for special occasions to express gratitude. Thank your loved ones, colleagues, and even strangers. A heartfelt “thank you” creates a ripple effect of positivity.

Practicing thankfulness is like nourishing our emotional and physical health. It’s a simple yet powerful tool that enriches our lives and the lives of those around us. It enhances our wellbeing by fostering deeper connections with others. When we appreciate and acknowledge the kindness of people around us, it strengthens social bonds. From my perspective as a meditation teacher, I notice that students who practice thankfulness tend to have better relationships with others and experience more joy, contentment, and life satisfaction. Combining it with the two previous points will make this exercise even more powerful in terms of changing your relationship with yourself and your loved ones. Practice compassion meditation and develop feelings of kindness and empathy toward yourself and others.

Conclusion

The MET approach isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. Incorporate these practices into your daily life and watch how they contribute to your overall well-being. Remember, well-being is a journey, and every small step counts. So, take three deep breaths, Meditate, Empathise with others, and express Thankfulness. These things can not only help you reduce stress and experience less anxiety, but also aid you in being a good friend or reliable family member who offers support and non judgmental space to others. Practice self compassion, forgive yourself for your own mistakes and extend the same courtesy to others.

Your well-being awaits! Wishing you well in your practice,

Martin Hassall

CEO Meditation in the Workplace and Cofounder of the Take3Breaths app.

References:

1. Mindlness and Empathy Among Counseling and Psychotherapy …

2. The Effect of Mindfulness and Compassion Meditation on State Empathy …

3. What Is Loving Kindness Meditation? (Incl. 4 Metta Scripts)

4. Gratitude Meditation: A Simple but Powerful Intervention

FAQ

1. What is mindfulness vs meditation?
   Meditation commonly involves a committed routine, whereas mindfulness is a trait you can embrace not just during meditation but also in every instant of your existence. Though distinct, they harmonize remarkably effectively.

2. What are the 4 active listening skills?
   First, you should always try to pay attention to the speaker by giving them your undivided attention and acknowledging what is being said. Show that you are listening by nodding or humming along. Secondly, provide them with feedback, respond to what they are saying. Thirdly, don't judge someone else too fast, instead try to understand their perspective. Lastly, respond in an appropriate manner, don't use words that may trigger someone, don't attack them. Be respectful even if you're stance on the matter is different.

3. What are the 5 steps to create a gratitude journal?
   First thing you need to do is to choose and personalize your Journal. Answer yourself: what works best for you? The second thing that's a must is being consistent. You should write in your gratitude journal every day, and preferably at the same time of day to create a habit. Third thing is: write at least 3 to 5 things that you're grateful for that day and be as specific as you can. Lastly, turn negatives into positives. Write: I'm grateful I'm healthy instead of I'm grateful I'm not sick.

4. What is the metta prayer?
   The metta prayer of loving kindness is a prayer or phrase utilized within a loving-kindness meditation, or metta bhavana. This form of meditation and utilization of a phrase is well-liked in the Buddhist tradition. The term, metta, stems from Pali and can be rendered as “good will” or “loving kindness.”