Do you react or respond to negative events and people in your life? What I mean is, when something unusual happens, like a co-worker gives you bad news about a project you are working on, do you think about what they have told you and respond with a solution or do you react to the news by becoming stressed, anxious and angry? If you are one of those many people that become angry, then learning deep breathing and meditation exercises just might help you to calm your mind so you don’t overreact when these negative events occur. I’d like to call this process non-reaction.

Non-reaction is a practice that can benefit you and the people around you. Non-reaction is the process of choosing not to react to negative events in your life but rather reflect and respond appropriately. Using deep breathing techniques, relaxation and meditation, you can learn to respond, rather than overreact, effectively to the stresses in your life.

Non-reaction stops your negative events and emotions from running your life. By choosing to practice non-reaction, you’ll be able to stay calm in the even the most stressful situations you encounter.

Learning the Art of Non-Reaction

Non-reaction is the ability to postpone an immediate reaction until you’ve had a chance to carefully consider what is happening. Instead of reacting you choose to reflect and then respond appropriately.

I’m sure you can remember a time in your life that you snapped at someone in anger, and later had to apologize for your outburst. We all have overreacted to a negative event, at least I know I have, and, if you’re like me your actions didn’t represent what you truly meant. Your emotions took control of your mental processes and words just slipped right out of your mouth. The bad thing about this is once those words slip out you can’t take them back and they sometimes cause permanent damage to that relationship.

Now think of a time that something disappointing happened to you, but you chose to hold back your reaction until you had a chance to think it over and absorb what was happening. Later, you decided to react with a calmer and clearer demeanor. This is non-reaction. After you reflected on the event, I’m sure you were incredibly glad you chose to respond this way.

Like many things that are good for us to do, the philosophy of non-reaction is simple in theory, but can be extremely challenging to practice. It can be tempting at times to allow yourself to lose your temper and say what’s on your mind. It sure is a lot easier. If you’re like most people, you’ve already reacted before you even have time to consider the meaning of the circumstance you find yourself in. This is where using deep breathing and meditation exercises can help you relax and stay calm, even in the stormiest circumstances.

The Benefits of Deep Breathing and Meditation

Deep breathing and meditation is a practice that benefits your mind, body, and spirit. Practicing deep breathing and meditation exercises can be a simple, yet powerful, way to change the way stressful events affect your mind, body and emotions. Simply choose a time to sit by yourself and allow your mind to relax and clear. An easy way to do this is to count 50 breaths backward to begin your meditation practice. This will allow your mind to slip into relaxation. In a relaxed state you are better able to see things as they really are. This is because you’re not experiencing the cluttered thinking caused by your emotions.

After regularly practicing meditating for a while, try to bring the feeling you get from deep breathing and relaxation into your everyday life. With practice, you’ll learn to be able to calm your mind using your deep breathing and meditation exercises throughout the day. This will allow you to respond to stressful events by contemplating the possibilities with a cool head.

As you practice more and more, you’ll notice that one of the benefits you’ll receive from meditation is that your emotions are less in control of you. Instead of immediate reactions to negative situations, you’ll begin to respond calmly and more appropriately as challenges arise.

Practice, Practice, Practice

As the old joke goes, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” “You need to practice!” The only way you’ll receive the amazing benefits of meditation is to practice as often as possible. Even if you only have a few minutes, do your best to practice your deep breathing and meditation techniques every day. You’ll find that, just like physical exercise strengthens your body, the more you meditate the better you’ll become at mastering your emotions and remaining calm when the storms of life come to visit. Schedule a meditation appointment with yourself every day and be sure to keep your appointment!

Staying Stress Free and Reducing Anger

Many people search for years to find a low-cost way of controlling their anger and feeling more in control. With deep breathing and meditation exercises, and the relaxation it brings, you’re always only a few short minutes away from the stress relief you crave. Instead of reacting negatively when you feel angry or upset, you’ll begin seeking solutions and feeling more confident.

The next time you feel anxiety or anger creeping into your mind, remember that you do have a choice. You can react in anger and complicate the situation, or you can respond in a way that encourages you and those around you to seek effective solutions. The choice is always yours.

In the meantime, take a few minutes today to breathe deeply, clear your mind of the day’s worries, and relax. Do the same tomorrow and the next day. Like physical exercise, the benefits of deep breathing and meditation exercises are accumulative. The more you practice, the more benefits of meditation you’ll receive and the better you’ll become at non-reaction!

Wil Dieck is the founder of Total Mind Therapy author of two e-Courses “Reprogramming Your Subconscious Mind” and “Unlocking the Secret Advantage of Hypnosis” that you can have at no charge . You can sign up here to receive these positive thinking tips delivered by e-mail weekly.