Although it’s slowly catching on in the west, most people aren’t very familiar with what meditation is, and what it’s used for. Some people associate it with a religion or lifestyle that’s incompatible with their own, when really it’s a mental tool that can be used for anyone. We’re chased out of bed by our thoughts in the morning, which continue to distract and bother us all day until we go to sleep and repeat the cycle. This is the root of distress, because nobody has a constant stream of happy thoughts. Everybody dwells on the past, worries about the future, or isn’t satisfied with their life in one way or another. This distraction of thinking without realizing that you’re thinking, is what takes a toll on your mental well being. Meditation, which can be done in many forms, is what helps you notice how you’re perceiving yourself, others, and shape it into a positive outlook.

It may not be the norm to regularly meditate now, but like brushing daily to take care of your teeth, you need to meditate to take care of your mind. Consciousness is the way in which we experience every minute of our waking lives, so if your head is always clouded by negative thoughts and emotions, they’re going to be affecting your perception. When your attention is off elsewhere, you unnecessarily fixate on distraction at the expense of the present moment. Think about a morning that simply wasn’t going right, and continued to restlessly influence your whole day, or maybe an argument with someone that kept escalating. By becoming mindful, you essentially catch yourself in these moments and realize that you don’t have to let these feelings fester. Was it really amounting to anything yelling in your car during rush hour? Was arguing with that person going to get anywhere, or should you have caught yourself and left the room to cool down for a while? One who is simply aware of thoughts, feelings, and moods, doesn’t in fact have to become identical to them.

So how do you learn this valuable skill and apply it to your everyday life? It’s very simple in theory, but it takes consistent practice. To sum it up best, if you want to understand your mind, sit down and observe it. All you need to do is find a nice place to sit, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. You’ll notice feelings, bodily sensations, and thoughts themselves. Each time you realize you are lost in thought, become aware of it, and focus back on the breath instead. You don’t have to do it that long either, even only ten mindful minutes out of your whole day can go a long way in giving your mind that break it needs. It takes patience because at first you’ll note the constant flow of distractions. Try making a habit out of it and see what happens. It’s well worth it for personal growth and shaping that glass to see it half full. Everyone from CEO’s to pro athletes have caught on to it’s benefits and have been using it to virtually rewire their brains. Studies have shown that it greatly reduces stress, and that it literally grows gray matter density in the hippocampus which is associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection.

In this day and age there are so many pressures from society. We’re bombarded by advertisements that tell us what we need in order to be happy, and the media pushes an unrealistic expectation on things like body image and what it means to be successful. Amidst all that we’re also constantly checking our phones, comparing ourselves to others, and losing sight of what’s important. This constant craving for more out of life never leads to happiness. If someone is poor, they want to become rich, and if someone is rich, they want to become richer. If you never draw the line and slow down to appreciate life, when will you ever be happy? There is a way to change this pattern of thought by sitting down and observing your mind. Do you like how you’re treating yourself? Do you like how you’re treating others? Meditation is all about becoming more comfortable in one’s own skin and suffering less there, but you’ll never make any progress unless you do it.

If you want to know more, this TED talk explains it nicely:

Starting out in silence is difficult. These guided meditations are a great way to ease into it. I’ve been using the 9 minute one daily on my lunch breaks:

Sam Harris 9 Minute Guided Meditation

Sam Harris 30 Minute Guided Meditation

There’s also an app called Calm, available on Apple and Android. It’s free to download and full of helpful guided meditations and features. The 7 Days of Calm are also a great way to start out.

And of course if you’re a redditor, there’s always r/Meditation!