I Tried Meditating for 14 Days, and Here's What I Learned
Day 0
I’ll be the first to admit it: at the time of writing, my self-care routine is nonexistent. At a recent Calm Collective volunteer gathering, I was asked how I take care of myself when the going gets rough. I was momentarily stumped because frankly, I don’t do anything but panic and pray the scaries away. I know, it’s painfully ironic for someone who claims to be an advocate for mental health. However, after giving it some thought, I realised it’s never too late to start building a self-care routine, a toolkit I can always rely on when feeling stressed or down. Meditation came to mind as I was aware of its benefits, which range from better emotional health to reduced stress. It even improves one’s attention span and productivity (which I know my boss will surely appreciate).
I’ve tried meditating in the past, but I've never developed it as a habit. It simply didn't stick. I used to meditate at night, and that always led me to doze off after a couple of breaths. I don't suppose one can feel the effects of meditation if they're fast asleep. So, for the purpose of writing this article, I did some quick research and came up with an action plan: for the next two weeks, I will have 10 minutes of meditation in the morning to start the day right and to lower my cortisol levels upon waking. Legs crossed, hands on knees, eyes closed. I’m picturing a moment of pure zen. I’m excited to (re)start.
Day 1
I downloaded Insight Timer, a free app (check out other apps that help the team navigate their mental health journeys) that comes with guided meditation sessions and a timer for unguided ones. Still feeling groggy before my morning cuppa, I turned on the timer and set a bell to toll every 45 seconds in case I fell asleep. I didn't need to worry though, as I began to feel alert when I started. Gradually, however, my thoughts slowed, and so did my breathing. I focused on my breath and felt my body relax further. Soon enough, the 10 minutes were up, and I felt centred and grounded. It was like coming home.
Day 4
The ease that came with the first day of meditation was quickly replaced with a flurry of thoughts on the following days: What’s for breakfast? What’s for lunch? And while we’re at it, what’s for dinner too? After gently letting go of a thought, a new one would quickly take its place.
Elisha Goldstein, psychologist and founder of Mindful Living Collective, has some advice: “See the thought, touch it—say here’s the thought, spend a moment with it [and] very gently bring your attention back to your breath.” Of course, that’s easier said than done; I’d much rather entertain the idea of having chicken rice than focusing on my inhales and exhales. Regardless, I continue to soldier on.
Day 7
I wasn’t finding it easier – the distracting thoughts that plagued me the past few days were still present – but I was getting used to it. I’m learning to sit with my thoughts and to observe them as one might some goldfish in a tank. I might then brush it away, gently nudge my thought out of my headspace, and resume meditating, but before long another thought takes its place. Rinse and repeat.
Day 14 and final thoughts
I did the math: across 14 days, that would add up to just slightly over 2 hours of time I could have been asleep. Instead, I spent it in an in-between state, cross-legged on my bed, at 7:50am every morning.
I don’t know what I was expecting. I’m not saying that meditation is absolute rubbish or that it did nothing for me, but I do think that 14 days of meditation is probably too short to see any drastic effect. I did, however, notice that I was calmer immediately after meditating. I don’t wake up shaking and in jitters, but I often worry about work from the moment I’m up (oh my gosh, did I forget to reply our supplier yesterday, etc). Meditation has helped to quiet that a bit, forcing my brain to stop running on the hamster wheel of doom from the very minute I open my sleep-crusted eyes. Worrying can wait until I’ve at least had my breakfast.
I learned that meditation isn’t a panacea. It can, however, reduce stress and encourage better sleep when practiced regularly, and I suppose after a period of time. My conclusion to this little experiment is that I should definitely continue practicing it daily to see more long-term results. Check in with me again in a year’s time to see how I’m faring.
As for productivity? Perhaps you should ask my boss.
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Resources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation
https://mindworks.org/blog/when-is-the-best-time-of-day-to-meditate/
https://meditation.studio/meditation-morning-night-which-better/
https://www.mindful.org/what-to-do-when-thoughts-arise-while-meditating/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858