I Tried It, and This Happened: Daily Meditation
Over the course of the past seven days, I finally managed to a complete a goal I’ve been having for weeks now: daily meditation. Now, I know this sounds incredibly easy to do—just sit down and meditate! But finding time to quiet your mind is much more difficult than it seems. Of course, meditation has seriously amazing benefits. It can reduce stress and anxiety, regulate emotional health, lengthen your attention span, improve sleep, and even decrease blood pressure! So, I know you’re thinking: “With all of these benefits, why the hell is it so hard for you to do this daily?” The answer? Time! Sure, it’s only five or ten minutes, but scheduling those five or ten minutes can prove to be remarkably difficult. Nevertheless, I did my seven days, and you can too!
The first day involved a very frustrated Milan, filling out applications for graduate school. As it was already late in the day, I decided to open my Headspace app (a wonderful app for guided meditation!) and meditated for five minutes to clear my head. I do have to give a bit of a caveat: I’m not a true newbie to meditation. I’ve been doing it on and off for years, but recently it’s been very, very off—my life has too, coincidence? I think not! Headspace is great because it guides you on what to do and how to do it in a soothing voice and it meets you at your level. After this meditation break, I felt noticeably lighter, less anxious, and much more clear-headed. Day 1: Complete!
After this day, the hard part was scheduling. For me, meditating first thing in the morning was the best option. If I waited until the end of the day, I’d undoubtedly be scrambling to get the meditation and my mind would be in a frenzy. If I began when I woke up, however, I would start my day off on the right foot and get to reap the benefits for the entirety of the day. So, for the remaining six days that’s exactly what I did. I woke up in the morning and meditated for five minutes. Headspace has a free trial for ten days and then you have to pay, but, there are a ton of guided meditations on YouTube. Spotify even has a guided meditation playlist!
So, you’re probably wondering how I felt after these seven days, right? To be perfectly honest, I feel amazing! I feel more in control, less anxious, and way less stressed in this very stressful week I’ve had. While it’s only been a week, I completely understand why people swear by meditation and its powerful properties; I remembered why I used to swear by it. I should also note that all days won’t be easy. Sometimes your mind won’t seem to shut up and your meditation session won’t be as fruitful. If that happens (and trust me, it will), just gently bring your focus back, and move on. My next goal is to continue this daily meditation and permanently etch it into my schedule (we’ll see how this goes). As for you guys reading this, try it! Please! It’s been such a great way to gain control of my emotions. And honestly, what’s five minutes out of your day for a lifetime of health benefits