Many of us come to meditation because someone, somewhere—perhaps a family member, friend, or possibly even a professional—told us, “you should really try meditation.” And your first thought is probably, “Eh… I’m good.”

If that wasn’t your first thought, it was certainly my first thought!

I was introduced to meditation by my dear, amazing mother when I was in High School. I have struggled with anxiety for most of my life and I hit some real lows in High School. My mom, who worked in a mental health clinic in my home town, gifted me a set of meditation tapes from one of the doctors at the clinic.

Those CDs sat on my desk for aaaages. And then, finally, one day I finally thought, “Okay, let’s try this.”

I hated it. Seriously. Putting on those tapes, trying to pay attention to my breath, I just felt like I was hyperventilating. It was not fun. So, the CDs were set back on the desk and left again. I did try them a few more times here and there, thinking that if people are saying meditation will help then those tracks should help me. But, I just couldn’t do it. I found it very hard to sit with myself. It was scary and very uncomfortable.

Instead, I took to taking long walks in a forest nearby, that’s how I found my moments of calm. (Which by the way, walking in nature is crazy beneficial for our mental health, too!)**

Jump a few years down the road at University and I tried meditation again. It was a bit easier, but I still found myself checking out pretty quickly. Felt uncomfortable doing it. Felt silly even.

I started researching a bit more into meditation and realized there are other types that aren’t just sitting there focusing on my breath. And that was a game changer for me.

Body scans, moving meditations, those were more my jam at the beginning. And the more I practiced them, the easier meditation became. My mind still wandered, there were still days I couldn’t make myself sit with the discomfort (mainly chest pounding), but I did notice it got a little easier and I noticed how much better I felt, even after a few minutes.

So I kept going, I kept learning. My time training in India was amazing for my meditation practice. Every day for a month we met at 5:30am to meditate together in a big room. You could hear the wildlife around us, the shifting of others, the quiet of others, and it helped me realize, I’m not the only one that shifts and I’m not the only one that finds quiet moments. That connection with the world around me, really helped me find and be at peace with the connection with myself.

Meditation has made a huge impact on my mental health, along with other self-compassionate practices that I have adopted. I’ll not say that I have my anxiety 100% always under control, but in general I live a life where my bouts of anxiety are the exception not the norm.

My meditation practice has created a sort of muscle memory in me, and when I realize that I’m slipping down the rabbit hole, my practice shows up for me. And it’s amazing how much easier it is to pull myself out.

We don’t only meditate during the times that we are struggling, instead when we do it consistently—in good times and bad—it helps create that muscle memory so when we are feeling overwhelmed with stress, anxious, depressed, etc. the practice supports us. It keeps us afloat so we can get back on our feet quicker.

6 tips to help you meditate when you are struggling

1. Remind ourselves it’s not selfish to pause, tune-in, and relax

So often when we struggle to pause and take a moment for ourselves, it’s because we feel guilty to relax. Societal pressure often gears us to think that its selfish for us to take time for ourselves that we should go, go, go, and that only if we keep pushing will we be “worth” something. You are already worth something. You are worth a lot. And in your worthiness, you deserve to take breaks. Because in those moments of pause, that’s when you are able to re-fill your cup so you can keep going, keep progressing, keep helping others in a sustainable fashion.

2. Start small

Even 30 seconds can be beneficial. Little by little, work your way up to longer meditation times. But, for meditation to be beneficial it does not have to be loads of time. Studies have shown that consistent 5-10 minute meditations are extremely beneficial for our mental and physical health. (Side tip: There’s a great feature on the free Insight Timer app where you can set a timer so you don’t have to think “how long have I been doing this” but just focus on coming back to the meditation when your thoughts wander.)

3. Consistent Practice does not mean all or nothing

When we talk about a consistent meditation practice, we don’t mean that if you don’t practice every day then the benefit stops. No, if you miss a day or two here or there, that’s OKAY! And if something happens in your life that takes you away from your practice for awhile, whatever it may be, you can always pick it back up again.

4. Try move physical meditations like a moving meditation or a body scan.

When we first start meditating, it can feel uncomfortable, scary, silly and maybe even boring. That’s normal. Try doing meditations that focus more on the physical: moving meditations, like Nyasa Hand meditation, or body scans, etc. This type of meditation can help us because we’re “doing something” while also allow ourselves to tune in.

5. Ask for support to help keep you accountable

Use your support system around you! Friends, loved ones, professionals, tell them you want to start a meditation practice, or you’ve started a meditation practice but are struggling, and you would like them to help keep you accountable. This could mean maybe they join you, or they send you a daily message to check in to see if you’ve done it, or you meet with them occasionally to discuss how your practice is going.

6. Join a meditation group or course

Especially when we get started, or we want to restart our practice, joining a meditation group or course can be really helpful to keep us accountable and also feel connected in a community of others who are very likely experiencing similar struggles. It can also be a good way to ask questions and perhaps about different styles of meditation that work better for you in different moments.

Looking to start up your own mediation practice but you’re nervous about it? Or wanting to get back into meditation and wanting accountability?

Come join myself and others from around the world in an 6 week online meditation course, Pause.

This 6 week meditation course is all about creating an accessible mediation practice. I’ll share with you tools and different styles of mediation that you can use to help you release stress, find focus and feel empowered. I don’t meditation to be, “just one more thing” to add to your schedule, instead I’d love to show you ways you can incorporate it into your life in a sustainable and practical way. AND get all the benefits from it.

For more information go send me a message in the comment box below or follow the link:

Pause. 6 Week Online Meditation Course