I’ve tried meditation before a couple of times, but it didn’t stick. I found it very hard to still my mind or focus on my breath, and ended up feeling that the exercise was a waste of time.
A group session at work changed my feelings completely. It was a 30 minute guided meditation session, and it left me feeling calmer and recharged.
Since I was flirting with the idea of habit stacking to get me to kick off a set of good habits all at once, I added meditation to it. I’ve now been at it all December, bar a few days here and there, and it seems like something that’ll stick for life now.
I use apps on my phone for these sessions. They re short-10 minutes on average-and some people feel anything less than 20 minutes is pointless, but I feel a definite benefit even with these short sessions. Breath control and body scan seem to be the most common ones, but there are others such as gratitude and thought management that I find very useful.
After trying a variety of apps, I’ve settled down with two - Buddhify and Insight Timer. I suggest that you read top 10 lists and reviews of all the major apps and then try them out yourself before settling on one or two. They’re all very well built, and each excels at some features, so it’s what feels right for you that matters the most.
As for me, I find the short 10 minute session at the start of the day to be calming and focusing, and it takes away the stress of facing an inbox full of new tasks, issues and escalations.
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