This post first originally appeared from Piping Rock. All credit goes to them.

You wake up to the sound of your alarm clock blaring: BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. You think “Okay, here we go again…” Muster the strength to get out of bed, semi-slug-walk to the bathroom and brush your teeth. You reach for your toothpaste and you only have the tiniest amount left, barely enough to do the job. Frustrated you do what you need and then run out the door. In a frantic mood, you run into the café for coffee, still angry about the toothpaste episode. In a rush, you spill the coffee all over your new pants. At this point, various curse words come out followed by “Another bad day” said with a sigh. But wait…Did the story have to end this way? With frustration and anxiousness? No not at all. While we’re sure you’ve heard about meditation, you may not have realized how applicable it could be to small situations. Enter mindfulness. Imagine that same scenario but with you pausing after the toothpaste realization, telling yourself calmly “At least I have some!” with a smile and taking deep breaths to ward off anger. You then leave your house, calmly, run to the café and being more present, have a seamless morning. Seems like a simple change with great reward, right? We think so too. Incorporating meditation into your day doesn’t mean devoting an hour of your time to breathing or getting to Buddhist level expertise…It means taking time to be aware, to be present and to be one with your breathing. There are small ways you can put the benefits of breathing to work:

Use an App:

If you’re someone that is constantly on your phone—let’s be honest, who isn’t these days?—you might benefit the most from downloading a meditation app! There are several in the app store, but one of our favorites is “Simply Being”. This app lets you not only choose the length of your meditation but also choose your music. The guided voice is soothing and lets you unwind with minimal effort. Prefect if you’re a beginner, since the guided meditation keeps you focused. We love the five minute one for when life gets crazy but we need to, you know, chill out real quick.

Positive Affirmations:

Okay, this may seem super new-agey to you, but positive affirmations do work and are a great way of starting a meditation routine when you’re on the go. All it takes is finding a phrase or a few phrases that ring true to you in the moment. You then breath in and breath out while reciting the phrase of choice. To get you started, here are a few of our favorites: “My thoughts are filled with positivity and my life is plentiful with prosperity.” “I am enough. I am in charge. I am safe.” “I love my life. I love where I’m headed. I love my accomplishments”

Use Essential Oils:

One of our favorite ways, which may seem obvious, is using essential oils to stay grounded. In times of stress, the art of aromatherapy always seems to help us out. For times when we feel stress coming on in the morning, we load our Mist Vapor Spa Ultrasonic Diffuser with our most loved essential oil blends to ensure we get the good vibes pumping. It’s also a good tip to sit near the diffuser, closing your eyes and breathing while the aromas fill the air and surround you. Here are a few of our favorite blends to help you take a chill pill: Happy Oil: This is an uplifting blend with Cedarwood, Lemon, Spearmint, Grapefruit, Tangerine, Myrtle, Nutmeg and Jasmine that boasts a sweet, fruity aroma! It’s hard to frown when you’re smelling a scent this good, just saying. Calming Oil: This is a soothing blend that is sure to take the edge off any stressful situation. The mix of orange, tangerine, ylang ylang, patchouli and chamomile oils will help you find your peace of mind and let you recenter yourself. …And to think those are only a few ways to channel your thoughts into a more relaxed state! Get to it and see the difference today. For your convenience, you can get both of the mentioned oils by clicking here and having them automatically added to your cart from Piping Rock!