MEDITATION ALTERNATIVES For People Who Don’t Like to Meditate
Meditation is lauded for its health benefits and is often suggested as an effective way to clear the mind, organize thoughts, and reduce stress. Realistically, however, it’s not for everyone. In fact, some people don’t experience any benefits at all from meditating. In a recent study published in New Scientist about the effectiveness of meditation, researchers confirmed that some people do not benefit from meditation and that about 8% of people who try meditation experience an “unwanted effect,” such as an increase in anxiety.
Exercising outdoors or in nature — especially in new places — enhances these benefits. Because your surroundings are going to be unfamiliar, your mind is more focused, which can help if you’re searching for clarity. Stay mentally engaged. Many people achieve clarity, focus, and stress reduction through simple but engaging tasks, such as immersing themselves in an adult coloring book, doing brain teasers, or assembling LEGO sets, which proves they can be effective therapeutic tools or alternatives to meditation. The LEGO Company has actually been developing more products for adults with this sort of research in mind. But why LEGO products specifically? In addition to being objects you touch and push together, LEGO products come with clear, step-by-step instructions, which make them easy to put together and allow you to focus more on the task at hand. Even if you don’t complete the piece in one sitting, working on a project a few minutes a day can be a beneficial way to find a little clarity.
If you’re not interested in meditation, or it just doesn’t work for you, here are some alternative ways to clear your mind and reduce stress.
Get serious about physical activity. Aerobic exercises — like walking, jogging, running, cycling, and swimming — are great for clearing your mind and getting your body moving. Really, any exercise that gets the heart pumping and increases your respiratory rate will do. Research supports that aerobic exercise is a great alternative to meditation that yields many of the same benefits.
Your Guide to Smart Charitable Giving in 2020
RAISING THE CAP
Do you remember when, back in 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act moved the goal posts for charitable giving? The Act essentially doubled the standard deduction for individual and joint tax filers, which caused the percentage of taxpayers who itemized their deductions to drop from 35% to 6%. Though the vast majority of people saw their tax burden go down, this also meant that over 95% of taxpayers could no longer write off their gifts to charity. This year, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act made two temporary changes to the tax treatment of such donations. One was the implementation of a new universal deduction targeted primarily at standard deduction taxpayers. The other was an increase of the charitable giving deduction cap meant to incentivize high-income individuals and corporations to give.
Before the CARES Act, donors who were still
able to itemize their deductions — and therefore directly write off gifts to charity — faced a deduction cap of 60% of their adjusted gross incomes (AGIs). Corporations were able
to deduct charitable donations of up to 10% of their taxable income. The CARES Act lifted these caps to 100% for individuals and joint filers, and 25% for corporations in 2020. These are truly substantial changes to the tax treatment of donations. Because of them, individuals can theoretically give enough to end up with zero taxable income, and corporations can save thousands. The window for taking advantage of these changes closes on Dec. 31, 2020, so now is the time to give. If you want to learn more about maximizing your charitable donations, reach out to our team today at 317-726-1714.
THE NEW UNIVERSAL DEDUCTION
As we mentioned above, more than 9 out of 10 people no longer itemize their charitable giving. However, the CARES Act has changed the game a bit. Individual taxpayers are now allowed to deduct charitable donations of up to $300 on their 2020 federal tax returns, even though they take the standard deduction. Following the pattern, married-filing-jointly taxpayers get an above-the-line deduction of up to $600.
2
EagleandFein.com
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker