How to start meditating when you think you’re bad at it
“I’ve been thinking about meditation for a long time, but don’t know how to bring it into my day. What should I do? I don’t even know where to start.”
I hear this from my clients all the time so let’s talk about it.
Here’s the plan:
Let’s talk about what meditation ISN’T
Then highlight what meditation can do for you
And finally, give you some action ideas you can take today to make meditation happen in your daily life.
What mediation ISN’T:
First things first: I find that folks tend to think meditation is thinking about nothing, clearing your mind for a significant period of time.
That leads us to believe that ‘meditation isn’t for me’ because ‘I can’t clear my mind for that long.’
This is not true. Meditation doesn’t happen in a blank vacuum for hours at a time.
Where this idea comes from, I have no idea. But let’s stop perpetuating that outdated story now.
Meditation, as defined by the dictionary, is a verb. An action. To “think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation."
You can meditate if you have two minutes or an hour.
You can meditate if you have thoughts in your mind the whole time.
Meditation can simply be the practice of noticing your thoughts and letting them pass without judgment. To notice that you are not your thoughts.
This study showed similar effects of a five minute meditation compared to a twenty minute one.
Benefits of Meditation:
Reduced stress
Higher immunity
Lower blood pressure
Less inflammation
Reduced feelings of depression and anxiety
Better sleep
Higher concentration
Lower resting heart rate
And, as we discussed previously, even a few minutes a day can support you in seeing these differences over just a few weeks' time.
How to meditate during your day:
Only you know what works and doesn’t work for you. Check in with the stories you’re holding about where or when meditation has to happen and let them go.
You get to choose what this looks like for you. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Start small. Aim for two to five minutes a day to start and work your way up to ten before you think about anything beyond that.
Remember that meditation can look different each day. Email me (caitlin@coachingwithcaitlin.com) for a walking meditation or just notice your next eight breaths with intention. Yes, it can really be that small to start.
Experiment with sitting in silence or using a guided recording to see what you like best.
Take note of things in your day that you do automatically and pair your short meditation with that. You brush your teeth now without thinking about it, yeah? Do a two minute meditation after you brush your teeth or listen to one in your car before you walk into the grocery store.
Check out these meditations here for short ones. My favorites are the body scan ones to do before bed.
Experiment with a few different places throughout your day for a few days. If it doesn’t work or you keep forgetting, it’s just not meant to work there right now in that way. Try a different time of day or a different way to remind yourself to do it.
Use this code to get your first month of WakingUp for free. They have a great introductory course with lessons that are less than ten minutes.
With clear benefits in only a short period of time, you have nothing to lose.
Let me know what stood out to you and what you’ll try first!
Hey, I’m Caitlin! I’m a certified health coach and life coach and I’m here to bring sustainable change into your day so that you have the time and energy you need for the things that matter most.
Want more support? Check out my other posts, learn more about coaching here or book a call with me here. You can always sign up for my newsletter, below, to receive these posts straight to your inbox, too!