Recognize that desirable inner qualities such as compassion, calm, patience, mindfulness, and happiness are all skills that are susceptible to training through consistent practice, rather than innate traits you either have or don’t.
Meditate even when experiencing difficult emotions like sadness or anger, as it’s better to experience them head-on rather than letting them lurk in your psyche and control you blindly. This helps you see things clearly and be less yanked around by these emotions.
When practicing loving kindness meditation, the goal is not to force or be suffused with feelings of loving kindness, but simply to do the exercise of envisioning people and sending phrases. This consistent practice builds the ‘muscle’ of compassion and friendliness over time.
Practice giving up attachment to your identity and possessions, as this can profoundly help you navigate life’s challenges and prevent your sense of self from being solely defined by external roles or achievements.
To achieve physical recovery, cultivate strength of mind by pushing through pain in physical therapy, even to the point of crying, and reducing reliance on pain medication to fully engage with the healing process.
In extreme crisis or pain, leverage meditation skills to achieve laser focus, preventing shock or fainting, and maintaining presence to navigate life-threatening situations.
When experiencing severe pain, meditate by working into the center of it, observing its ‘colors,’ and viewing it as an external phenomenon rather than a personal affliction. This practice can help you become less attached to the pain and depersonalize it.
Understand that fear, especially concerning what might happen or the unknown, is fundamentally just a thought. Practice noticing these fearful thoughts and then consciously letting them go.
Acknowledge that everyone experiences pain and challenges (’logging trucks’), regardless of their severity, and that it’s crucial to prepare oneself mentally and emotionally for life’s inevitable ups and downs.
Don’t use your feelings during meditation as the sole measure of whether you’re doing it right; instead, observe how you show up in the world. The purpose of meditation is to become a better human, not just a better meditator.
When meditating, especially during difficult times, have realistic expectations; it’s not a magical escape or a ‘bubble bath,’ but rather a practice that can be a ‘rough ride’ as you face emotions. Its purpose is to help you see clearly and be less controlled by difficult emotions, not to instantly remove them.
If you feel guilt about not experiencing a rush of love and kindness during loving kindness meditation, discard that guilt and simply continue with the practice.
Actively advocate for yourself in your healthcare journey by seeking out doctors and physical therapists who align with your mindset and focus on what you can do, rather than what you cannot, even if it means changing providers.
Actively ‘shop around’ for medical professionals who have a positive mindset and believe in your potential for recovery, rather than settling for those who offer only grim prognoses.
To overcome post-traumatic stress and reliving negative experiences, actively confront the source of your fear (e.g., getting back on the bus after a crash) as a form of exposure therapy.
When experiencing unbearable physical pain, focus intensely on each breath (‘breathe in, breathe out’) as your sole anchor, recognizing each breath as a moment of continued life.
To practice loving kindness meditation, systematically envision a series of people (yourself, a mentor, a dear friend, a neutral person, a difficult person, and all beings) and silently repeat phrases like ‘May you be happy, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you live with ease’ for each.
Engage in Vipassana (insight meditation) by focusing on watching your breath, and when your mind gets distracted, gently bring your attention back to the breath and start again.
Meditate not necessarily to be happier, but to achieve balance and cultivate a deep sense of awareness, presence, and focus, which can be crucial for professional performance and daily life.
After working through your own feelings, find a constructive outlet such as volunteering locally, whether politically, at a hospice, or with an organization like the ASPCA. This is considered more beneficial than merely expressing anger on social media.
Practice meditation to see clearly what’s churning within you, which can make you a more highly functioning human and a better citizen. This clarity can reduce the likelihood of spewing needless vitriol on social media and enable more sane, reasonable discussions with those you disagree with.
If looking for a constructive way to deal with political tumult, consider groups like Better Angels that facilitate healthy dialogue between people with differing political views (‘reds and blues’), as this approach applies marriage counseling precepts to societal divisions.
Regularly reflect on what acts of kindness you would perform for a stranger, using this question as a daily practice to foster compassion and inspire altruistic actions.
Consider starting a nonprofit or finding other ways to give back to communities you’ve engaged with, especially if your work involves documenting human stories, to provide tangible help like education and healthcare.