I've suffered from anxiety for a long time. It's not fun. Sometimes I find myself panicking about things that aren't even important. Since I started this challenge I've found that I'm able to calm myself down a lot faster than before. I almost automatically start to clear my head and take a deep breath (like I do when meditating) when I start to feel anxious. 

Moment of truth here - I get distracted easily. I always have too many things going on at one time and I can't focus on all of them together (I don't think anyone can). When you meditate you only have to focus on one thing. It feels so refreshing not having to worry about anything else that's going on around you. It's helped me transfer that focus on other things in my life.

I mentioned in my 15-day check-in that I don't normally take deep breaths. Over the past 30 days I've gotten much better at mastering my deep breathing. I still don't do it normally, but when I make a conscious decision to relax, my breathing automatically gets deeper. Taking deeper breaths makes such a difference when in a stressful situation. For those that suffer from anxiety, or just everyday stress, I highly recommend taking deeper breaths. 

This is something I didn't expect to come from this challenge. I feel like I'm more in touch with my wants and needs. When I meditate and take the time each day to just focus on my breathing and on "just being" it's easier for me to silence all the noise going on in the background of my life and just focus on what my true self is saying to me. I find myself making better decisions and taking steps forward in my life, more than I did before. This is my favorite benefit by far.