Meditating is not something that comes easily or naturally to me, even after doing it for months. I meditate by myself, usually in the morning and at night. If I’m having a hard day, I’ll also take 10 minutes to meditate midday.
I’ve tried various ways of meditating and, ultimately, I found that the Headspace app made the most sense for me. This is in no way sponsored by Headspace. I doubt they even know I exist, to be honest. This is coming from a truly genuine place of feeling like I finally found something that works. I do pay for the premium and I think it’s worth every penny.
There’s a large difference in my mood and my anxiety levels when I meditate. I feel like I can be in control of my emotions. When I meditate, I feel like I can have thoughts and let them pass me by instead of clinging and examining each one. It’s incredibly restorative, healing, and refreshing. I think meditating should be part of everyone’s routine.
However, not all of us are great at sitting still for extended periods of time. We live in a time where constant input and stimulation are happening, voluntarily and involuntarily. Thus, meditation can feel foreign and even scary at some points. When do you really have 10 minutes to do nothing these days?
I’m a squirrely person and I can relate to not being able to sit still for long periods of time. I’m a fidgeter, which is part of what makes me such a good knitter: it’s all fidgeting. So, the concept of sitting still and not fidgeting and not getting distracted can feel like a mountain too tough to climb. But, it can be done. These are the things that I have found through trial and error that are helpful when it comes to meditating without getting distracted.
Start small.
Don’t go for the 30-60 minute meditation right out the gates. When you’re just starting out or trying to get back into it, start by 3 minutes once a day. Then, push it to 5 minutes. 10 minutes. 20 minutes. Once you feel like you can go through a 20 minute session and feel good about it, then start looking at adding more meditation times throughout your day. There is no shame in starting small and working your way up. Forget about goals and go at your own pace. Meditation is not a race and is not about how much you can accomplish. It’s about being present with where you’re currently at.
Set up in a corner.
Meditation is typically done with your eyes closed. But, it can be hard to keep your eyes closed when you’re sitting in your living room and suddenly you can’t remember if you blew out the candle. So, you take a peek. Then, you notice that you haven’t done the laundry. And then your mind starts wandering to when you’re going to vacuum. It spirals from there. Instead, take a chair and face it toward a blank corner and sit facing the corner. Thus, if you peek open your eyes, your brain will see that there’s nothing interesting to be had and it will be easier to return to meditating.
Focus on your body, not your surroundings.
Part of what can be so distracting while meditating are outside things. Cooking that needs to be done. Cleaning that needs to happen. Work projects that are piling up. Ruminating on these things can rob us of our meditative state. Your brain will want to focus on something. It’s a natural response when you first begin practicing meditation. So, instead of fighting it, give it something to focus on. Concentrate on your breathing. Run through your body head to toe, slowly, checking areas that feel good and areas that don’t without obsessing over any part. Imagine radiating light from your body, starting with the smallest cell, moving towards your veins, flowing throughout your whole body and, eventually making it’s way outward. By giving your brain something to play with, you can avoid distractions that will rob you of restorative moments.
Stay consistent.
It’s tempting to give up on meditation after a couple sessions. You may be able to excuse your first session as being hard because it’s the first session and you don’t really know what you’re doing. You can probably go off of that thought for the next couple sessions. But, once you’re a few sessions deep and you feel like you have a basic grasp on how to meditate, but feel like it isn’t “working”, you may want to throw in the towel. I’m here to say keep going and don’t give up. Stay consistent. Meditate at the same time everyday and in the same place. Make it part of your routine. Meditation is not about “winning” or “getting it right”. It’s about showing up with the intention to meditate. Not even to do your “best” to meditate. Just to show up with the intention. Remember that and keep going. You’ll thank yourself in a few weeks when it starts to feel less like a chore and more like the self-care everyone swears it is (because it is).
Switch up your guided meditations.
When you’ve listened to the exact same meditation over and over and over, it can get tedious. We live in a world of constant stimulus. Whether we like it or not, our brains have adapted and they don’t do great with tedious. One way to keep your mind from searching for distractions is to not do the same meditation everyday. This is why I like Headspace: they have tons of different meditations you can do based on what you’re experiencing and what you need. They have their “Basics” pack, which I think everyone should start with, but they also have ones for creativity or anxiety or stress or grief or productivity or appreciation. Those are just a few. Meditation does not have to be boring and it shouldn’t be. Attempting a new and different meditation everyday is one way to combat that and make distractions less tempting.
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