Let’s face it–meditation is hard. Sometimes it truly feels impossible to just sit there with your thoughts for even a few minutes. It’s scary and it’s difficult, but it also has too many benefits not to try it. Mental health experts continue to preach this method, and yet it’s still a struggle to get started. These tips will help you actually start meditating today!
Start Small
The first step is not to get ahead of yourself. Remember that meditation is a skill you practice and build upon. You wouldn’t try to run a marathon without slowly working up to it. Start with a couple of minutes of meditation, and then slowly add a couple of minutes over time.
Guided Meditations
These days there are apps for everything, including meditation! Try out apps like Insight Timer or Headspace and find thousands of guided meditations. Guided meditations also take away the fear of being “alone with your thoughts” because you still have someone else’s voice to keep you company.
Breathing Exercises
If guided meditations aren’t your thing, try breathing exercises. Focusing on your breath gives your active brain something to think about besides the thoughts swirling around in your head! You can try taking a deep inhale while counting to 4, holding your breath for 2 seconds, and then releasing the breath slowly for a count of 6. Do this on repeat for as long as you can.
Don’t Give Up!
Even people that can meditate for hours still get distracted and find it difficult sometimes, so don’t give up! Give yourself some grace and just keep trying. You got this!
