The power of open awareness

• Attention regulation. Focused attention for an extended period of time.
• Body awareness. Paying attention to surroundings, thoughts and bodily sensations.
• Emotion regulation. Learning to observe your thoughts and accept them without reactive judgment while refraining from the habitual response.
• Change in perspective on the self. 

Less stress leads to less anxiety.

Regular meditation helps reduce anxiety and anxiety-related mental health issues like social anxiety, phobias and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

Some types of meditation can improve depression and help you maintain these benefits.

• Two studies of mindfulness meditation found decreased depression in over 4,600 adults.
• One study found that participants experienced a long-term decrease in depression.

The ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions. -Salovey and Mayer (1990)

It manifests itself in the kind of statements we make about ourselves, in relation to our emotional skills and success.

Qualities such as confidence, awareness and optimism, come under the umbrella of emotional intelligence. 

Concentration meditation involves focusing on a single point. 

In this form of meditation, you simply refocus your awareness on the chosen object of attention each time you notice your mind wandering. Through this process, your ability to concentrate improves.

Mindfulness meditation encourages the practitioner to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind. 

Through mindfulness meditation, you can see how your thoughts and feelings tend to move in particular patterns.

The goal of this technique is to achieve inner peace without concentration or effort. 

A person is assigned a mantra to repeat in a specific way. It is practiced 20 minutes twice each day while sitting comfortably with eyes closed.

It is also called visualization or guided imagery, where you form mental pictures or situations that you find relaxing.

It is commonly led by a guide, and practitioners are encouraged to use as many senses as possible to evoke calmness.

Pragmatism believes that the mind is a tool. You have the ability to decide what you think. Or, you can choose NOT to think. And that is one of the most important and most practical things you can learn in life.  

1. Thinking about how you can solve problems. A problem is just an unanswered question. Put your brain to use and think about how you can solve problems. 
2. Understanding knowledge. Try to internalize knowledge and think about how you can use that knowledge to improve your life, career, work, relationships, etc.

Presence is necessary for charisma and it’s all about being truly engaged with others and showing them that they have your complete attention. Without presence, you can come across as just wanting to show off.

Shut down your ego, and pay attention to and focus on every word that others say. 

People like confident individuals, even if their other qualities are less attractive. Developing confidence is a balancing act as you don't want to be arrogant, but you also don't want to come across as timid or scared.

Exercising regularly, dressing in clothes that make you feel good, and talking about the things you understand well can help you build and maintain confidence.

Use a technique called “active listening” - a form of listening in which you acknowledge that you understand what is being said. 

1. Gamma State: (30 - 100Hz) The state of hyperactivity and active learning. 
2. Beta State: (13 - 30Hz) It is associated with the alert mind state where we function for most of the day.
3. Alpha State: (9 - 13Hz) Brain waves start to slow down out of thinking mind. We feel more calm and peaceful.
4. Theta State: (4 - 8Hz) The verbal/thinking mind transitions to the meditative/visual mind.
5. Delta State: (1-3 Hz) Most of us reach this final state during deep, dreamless sleep.

• Sit comfortably in your chair with your shoulders relaxed and spine tall.
• Place your hands mindfully on your lap.
• Try to eliminate any stimulus that may distract you.
• Focus on your breath to slow the brain waves down from Beta or Alpha to the Theta State.

• Sit in a comfortable position.
• Close your eyes and inhale slowly through your nose.
• Exhale deeply.
• Continue to breathe deeply and fully. Allow your breath to be a guide to the present.
• With each breath in, think to yourself “be” and with each breath out, focus on the word “present. ”

The physical symptoms of panic and anxiety, such as trembling, chest pain, and rapid heartbeat, are more obvious than the reason you are anxious. But, to get to the root of your anxiety, you need to stop and think about your thoughts and feelings.

Writing all that bothers you or talking with a friend can help you understand your anxious feelings.