If you are experiencing anxiety, stress, overwhelm, or anything else that makes your brain feel like an unpleasant place to be, starting a meditation practice is something I recommend. It’s definitely not a quick fix or cure for an anxiety disorder or extreme stress, but it helps and often it can give you the wiggle room you need to be able to find the right treatment.
And at the end of the day, it just feels good. Even if you only took five minutes out of your day to meditate you still took five minutes out of your day for you and when you’re in that difficult headspace, that’s often a huge win.
Meditation has a reputation for being hard or something that’s not fun. The key is finding the right type of meditation for you. There are so many ways to meditate. SO MANY.
For Your Meditation Practice: Start Small
You don’t have to go all out and create a meditation space, invest in a singing bowl, purchase crystals, and buy meditation pillows (but you can because those things are awesome!). All you need is five minutes a day and a place that’s semi-free of distractions and noise.
Find an Approach You Enjoy
Let’s talk about all of the ways you can meditate. There is traditional meditation where you sit in silence and focus on your breathing. That might work for you and it might not. Transcendental Meditation, which involves repeating a mantra. Guided meditation involves listening to a soothing voice talk you through the relaxation process. Guided imagery helps you build relaxing places in your brain. You can meditate and listen to nature sounds. Meditate while dancing. Body scan meditations. Loving-kindness meditations. Thought pages where you get in a really relaxed state and write.
It’s all about finding what works for you. (There’s a PC Game called Playne that I absolutely love)
Make Yourself Comfortable
If you struggle to maintain a certain posture because you’re sitting on the floor, you are only going to focus on the pain in your back. Meditation is something you shouldn’t be uncomfortable doing. Choose what feels best. Lay in bed. Meditate in the shower. Sit outside or inside or wherever you’re most comfortable while you’re wearing what’s comfortable!
Make Sure it Fits With Your Schedule
Meditation isn’t about going to a quiet corner, it can be about finding anywhere that you can sit down and just go into yourself, bonus points if you have headphones. Literally anywhere that you can find five minutes (even if it’s in your car in the parking lot before/after work) can be an opportunity for meditation.
Don’t Worry About Failing
Learning how to meditate is about learning how to fail. Just like any practice, it’s all about building your stamina. If you’re having trouble focusing then it is what it is. No need to get frustrated, just let the thoughts exist without trying to change them.
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