Create still, quiet space in your mind to allow creativity to emerge, as crowding your head with anxious thoughts can block this process.
Engage in meditation as a tool to center your mind and gain a wider perspective on life, especially when anxiety causes narrow-focused thinking, and to distinguish between useless rumination and constructive anguish.
Understand that meditation is a continuous practice of getting lost and starting again, not about achieving a special thought-free state, and this repetitive effort builds mental resilience.
When you notice your mind has wandered during meditation, feel good about having noticed it rather than getting frustrated, as this positive reinforcement trains your subconscious to return to focus more quickly.
Use meditation to flex the muscle of noticing impulses (like anger or desire to scream) without immediately acting on them, allowing you to choose your response in daily life.
Verbalize the things you are grateful for each night to combat forgetfulness and myopic thinking, helping you see the bigger picture.
Implement a practice called “sit in the quiet” before engaging in creative work (like composing or writing) to center yourself and prepare the ground for creative flow.
Dedicate just a few minutes every day to meditation to build attentional qualities like concentration, clarity, equanimity, and friendliness, which will spill out into your daily life over time.
For beginners, using a guide for meditation can be very helpful to overcome frustration and understand the process, rather than attempting it alone and feeling lost.
Practice mindfulness meditation to gain perspective on your experiences and recognize when you are caught in ruminative patterns, developing flexibility to shift between focused and open modes.
Practice meditation by paying attention to whatever is happening right now, as it can be done in any location or situation, not just in a formal setting.
Ensure that activities you consider meditative (like running or flying) truly involve paying attention to the present experience, rather than just being a distraction or a space for rumination.
Sit with a stretched-up, straight spine on the inhale to be alert, and on the exhale, soften your eyes, jaw, and cheeks, breathing out tension to settle into the meditation.
Choose a specific body sensation, like your breath at the belly or nostrils, or warmth in your hands, and commit to focusing your attention on it during meditation.
When your mind inevitably wanders during meditation, gently and kindly bring your attention back to your chosen sensation without self-judgment.
Actively seek to feel your chosen sensation more fully and clearly, noticing its subtle details, edges, and qualities to increase the resolution of your perception.
Cultivate an easygoing and accepting attitude towards distractions, thoughts, and a wandering mind during meditation, recognizing them as normal and returning to your focus without self-judgment.
Bring an attitude of appreciation and friendliness to your meditation object, finding enjoyment in the simple act of focusing on your breath or chosen sensation.