Struggling to control mind chatter? Meditation is the answer to your woes!
We live in a fast-paced world that is characterised by constantly juggling multiple things at a time. Catering to work, family, friends and relationships leaves us with no time to think or rest. And when we finally find time to unwind at the end of a long, tiring day, our mind finds it practically impossible to shut down, giving rise to restlessness, and in most cases, sleeplessness as well. But, there is a single solution to effectively tackle all such problems — meditation.
Contrary to popular perception, meditation is not about fixing feelings, but being comfortable with them. While its benefits are fairly well known, most of us find it tough to keep our minds still. But, with time and practice, you can master your mind. Here are some ways for you to make meditation more meaningful.
START WITH SMALL GOALS
Mastering meditation is an exciting pursuit, but you can’t expect it to show results from day one itself. Try and start meditating for a few minutes, and then, gradually increase the time. Remember, you have to meditate regularly, as you will only get better with practice.
DON’T WAIT FOR THE PERFECT TIME TO MEDITATE
You may think you should meditate at night after finishing all your tasks, but that isn’t exactly a good strategy. This is because you might never find the perfect time to do it. Instead, integrate it into your daily life. Do it when you take a short break from work during the day, or maybe first thing in the morning. In other words, don’t wait for it to happen to you!
DON’T HAVE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
Let’s say, for instance, that you’ve tried meditating every day in the week, but haven’t managed to do so. This shouldn’t serve as a reason to give up on mediating entirely, for it is consistency that matters. We live in times of instant gratification, which is why we feel everything must show instant results. But, that’s not the case with meditation. Unlike what the internet may tell you, meditation is not life-changing from the very beginning. But, once it starts showing its effects, there’s no way you’d be giving up on it. The key, therefore, is to be regular.
CAREFULLY DESIGN YOUR ENVIRONMENT
We might not admit this, but we are highly influenced by our environment and the people around us. So, talking about meditation to a friend who has been practising for some time may prove to be motivating, or even watching a TED talk on the subject is a good idea. You can also spark your interest in meditation by reading books on mindfulness.
TRY OUT GUIDED MEDITATION
When you start meditating, it might not be easy for you to do it without guidance. Thankfully, it’s the golden age of the internet, and there are a plethora of videos on YouTube to help you out. These guided meditation sessions are short and easy to follow. So, instead of just sitting and struggling to meditate by yourself, you have a mentor telling you what to do, one step at a time.
RESTLESSNESS AND EVEN SLEEPLESSNESS CAN BE PUT TO REST BY MEDITATING FOR A FEW MINUTES ON A REGULAR BASIS IN A SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT