I hadn’t given meditation much thought until recently. I didn’t see a need to meditate. Even during my most stressful times in undergrad or grad school, I did not think of meditation as a way to help lessen my anxiety and worries. I had accepted that stress, anxiety, worrying would always be a part of my life. I would have to learn to manage them or hope they diminished on their own. It feels like all people want you to do these days is plan for the future. For example, many job interviews ask you the dreaded question “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I attended many panels in business school to learn about someone’s career path, which either focused on their past or their future. It’s like we overlook the the present.
With anxiety and stress imbedding itself in my life, I did not think that there could be another way to live life. A life where I lived in the present, learned to accept my thoughts as thoughts instead of always worrying about what the future will bring or dwelling on the past. And most importantly letting those thoughts take over and overwhelm me. But alas a more calm way of life does exist! And from what I’ve experienced so far, its pretty darn awesome way to live.
So how can you learn to live in the present? To be focused? To let thoughts pass by without attaching a meaning to them? The answer: Meditation.
I understand that meditation sounds daunting. How do I start?. Should I spend 5 minutes meditating or 15 or 30 minutes? What will it take to clear my mind? How long will it take? Will it be effective? These are all he questions that popped in my mind. But fear not! There’s an app that makes it very easy to start your meditation journey. Headspace. The app was created by Andy Puddicombe whose ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist Monk. His voice is very soothing.
As the website https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app says,
“Headspace is meditation made simple. We’ll teach you the life-changing skills of meditation and mindfulness in just a few minutes a day.”
You can get 10 free sessions with the basics pack and start with either 3 minute, 5 minute, or 10 minute exercises. These are guided sessions that walk you through what you should be training your brain to do including breathing, focusing on how your body feels, and the sounds and smells surrounding you. The sessions also have short animated videos to explain what’s going on in your mind with thoughts.
Once you finish the 10 sessions, you have to be a paid subscriber. There are 3 options:
- Monthly subscription $12.95
- Annual subscription $7.99 (pay 12 months upfront)
- Lifetime subscription $419.95 (one time payment)
With a paid subscription you can also buy additional packs for Anxiety, Happiness etc. I signed up for the monthly subscription only because I wanted to make sure that I would continue with it before paying upfront. I’m glad I made the
It’s very important to set aside time in your day to meditate. 10 minutes is not a long time but you’ll be surprised how hard it’s to even carve out 10 minutes in your day. I try to meditate in the mornings before I go to work. If I run out of time then I’ll spend 10 minutes in the morning right after I get to work.
Today I finished day 30! Training the mind takes times and meditation is a journey but so far I feel like I am taking time during the day to learn to focus on the present and reduce the anxiety and worry that bubbles up. The app most importantly has given me the tools to manage my thoughts without having them overwhelm my mind. By no means have I perfected clearing my mind but 30 days is a great start!
There are two important things to remember:
- It’s okay if your mind wanders during the exercise. This is natural. Don’t get down on yourself. Bring your mind back to the breath and focus on the exercise.
- If you skip a day or two or 15 like I did when I went on vacation, start up again. Develop a habit and stick to it. Or get back to it. And again don’t beat yourself up for missing a day or not being able to focus as well one of the days. Each days is different.
Meditation should not become a chore but a daily part of your day. And once you build the habit and start to appreciate the value, you’ll start to enjoy it. I certainly have! Slowly you’ll notice the change in your mind and others will also start to notice the change in you.
Download Headspace and start meditating. Take it from a skeptic. The journey is worth it.