Over the past few months, I’ve learned how increasingly important it is to enjoy your own company. You only have yourself, and it’s essential, in a world where everything is fast-paced and can turn overwhelming, that we have the ability to reign it all in and be at peace with ourselves. We have to learn to uphold our own self-composure and feel calm when alone with our own mind.
Meditation has been my medicine. Meditation is not just about sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat with your eyes closed and hands facing up. The real practice is in being in tune with the present moment. When we learn to experience life as it happens, we’re released from the weight of future anxieties and worries. Meditation encourages mindfulness, which allows us to learn to be at peace with ourselves right now. Meditation can be incorporated much more easily in your routine than you think, and I want to help inspire some ideas!
1. Classic Meditation
The classics never fail! I personally practice this form of meditation every day, with modifications on some days I’ll detail later. Try to find a quiet spot and set a timer (you can always start at 5 minutes and work your way up to longer amounts of time). Sitting perfectly still, with your back straight, jaw, shoulders, and hands all relaxed, follow your breathing. Your exhales should be longer than your inhales. Imagine the air coming into your body on the inhales and follow the air as it escapes on your exhales. Your mind will wander from time to time, but don’t let it discourage you. Instead, acknowledge that your mind drifted, and resume focusing on your breathing. The narrow focus on your breathing forces you to stay in tune with the present moment, which helps declutter and clear your mind.
2. Music Meditation
A variation I like to incorporate in my meditation sessions is including music. I’ll sit down, and rather than solely focusing on my breathing, I’ll have music playing on my earphones, and I focus on the words and sounds I hear. Without realizing it, by focusing on the lyrics and production elements of a song, I’m drawn to the present moment, and I always feel relaxed after meditating to music. Try meditating to some of your favorite songs! You’ll be surprised to hear vocals or tapping noises in the background you’ve otherwise always overlooked before.
3. Going on a walk
Adding a physical element to meditation, you can always go on a walk! It’s important that you’re not just walking though. Each step should be intentional and not just about going through the motions of a walk. Let it resonate that you’re putting one foot in front of the other. Also, observe the world around you. Feel the breeze slightly brushing your face. Hear the bustling noises of cars as they zip past you. Take it all in! Realizing there’s a greater world outside of your stressors can really help ground you.
4. Drinking hot coffee or tea
You read that correctly. It’s all about bringing mindfulness into whatever you’re doing. I love chamomile tea, so what I’ll do is turn it into a ritual. That sounds crazy, but hey, it’s all for yourself, not others. Take your time making the tea. Don’t rush the process. Grab your favorite mug and sit where you feel comfortable. As you hold the mug, feel the heat of the tea in your hands. As you take a sip, follow the heat as it makes its way to your stomach. Again, you’re drawing yourself to the present rather than blindly drinking tea or coffee to pass time or get energy to do the next task. You’ll eventually get from A to B, so enjoy the transition as if it were a destination.
5. Journaling
Journaling has changed my life. I started journaling a few years ago when I first dealt with anxiety, and I returned to journaling recently and again realized how powerful it is. I’ve become more introspective from it, and I believe that quality enables us to eliminate our stressors and future anxieties. It’s important to not write just for the sake of writing. Before I go to bed, I always journal, and I like to follow ready prompts from a website. For example, last night’s question was “What was your childhood dream? What happened to it, or why didn’t you pursue it?” It can be introspective questions like that, or you could always follow stream-of-consciousness, writing as your mind drifts from one idea to another. What matters most is that you’re articulating your thoughts as it answers a prompt or as it thinks.
Practicing mindful meditation can help reel yourself into the now. Hopefully, you’ll feel more at peace with your mind after each practice. Next time you’re overwhelmed, ask yourself and answer truthfully why you feel this way. Most of the time, we’re worrying about the future. We’re stressing over intangible events we have no absolute control over. Mindful meditation can be a starting point in unlearning our tendencies to think ahead versus living out this moment. After all, our futures are contingent on what we do right now.