Meditation and Coping

I’ll preface this with a disclaimer that I am not an expert, not even close, and you shouldn’t take anything I say too seriously.

I write this as I approach 50 days of being in lockdown of some description, and it has at times been very tough. It was always going to be hard spending extended time with the same people, inside the same 4 walls. Everything gets amplified.

For a long time I’ve found that journalling of some type can be a helpful way for me to get thoughts out of my head and processed. Quite often you’ll realise how trivial something you’re worried about can be.¹

Over the last few years something that I found even more helpful is meditation. I think when most people hear the word “meditation” they think of Buddhist monks and people sitting crosslegged humming. My experience with meditation is quite different. On the face of it, it’s a very simple concept. You clear your mind and try not to think about anything. In practice it can be a little harder. Sitting and just let thoughts pass by without latching onto them is hard, but it get’s easier.

For me, meditation helps me quiet my thoughts and deal with things that are playing on my mind. It helps me relax and de-stress, which now more than ever is helpful. It’s hard for me to describe exactly how it’s changed my attitude to day to day life, but it has made an impact on me, and I hope that it’s a habit I’ll keep for the rest of my life.

I think that with patience everyone can benefit from meditating, and it can be as little as 10 minutes a day. There are a lot of great apps that can help you get started. Personally, I like Oak, but Headspace is another great app with some really nice introductory videos. It takes some commitment, but right now I think everyone can spare at least 10 minutes of their day.

A good comparison is running. Like a lot of people I’ve turned to running as my exercise while locked down, and I’ve noticed that the more I do the easier it gets. If I take a week off I know it’s going to be harder when I come back to it. Meditation is exactly the same, the more you do the easier it gets. It’s a muscle that you need to work on. If you don’t, it atrophies.