Read this if you see Meditation as a Chore
I don’t know about you but I’m starting to lose track of all the things we should be doing to improve our wellbeing…
- We should get 7-8 hours of sleep each night
- We should aim for 10,000 steps a day
- We should eat 30 different plants a week…
But here’s something I do know: meditation doesn’t belong on this list!
You simply won’t enjoy the benefits of meditation if you think of it as something you “should do”.
You probably won’t even enjoy the meditation experience itself…!
Change “I should meditate” to “I get to meditate”
So here’s an easy trick: instead of telling yourself “I should meditate”, try replacing that with “I get to meditate”.
It’s a simple switch of words but it can completely transform your approach to meditation.
Meditation stops being something you’re forcing yourself to do, and instead becomes something you’re choosing to do.
How this improves your meditation experience
But this doesn’t just change your attitude towards meditation.
It also puts you in the right mindset to enjoy the benefits of meditation – and it helps you enjoy the meditation practice itself.
Here’s how…
1 – Meditation brings you back to the present moment
One of the key benefits of meditation is that it helps bring you back to the present moment.
But if you think about meditation as something you should do, chances are that when you sit down to meditate you’ll have one eye on the timer, willing it to reach 0:00!
Rather than being in the present moment, your mind is stuck in the future, fixated on the end goal of finishing the session.
On the other hand, if you think of meditation as something you get to do – something you’ve chosen to do – there’s a natural sense of wanting to really enjoy it in the present moment.
You want to pause or prolong the experience rather than fast-forward to the end.
2 – Meditation helps lower stress levels
Another key benefit of meditation is that it lowers stress and anxiety levels.
But if you think about meditation as something you should do it actually creates stress!
You worry about not keeping it up… how you’ll fit it in… if a ten minute session is enough… etc. etc…
On the other hand, if you think about meditation as something you get to do, then instead of feeling stressed about it, you actually feel grateful for it.
Sure, when you sit down to meditate you might be stressed about other things in life – but not about meditation itself.
You’ll be more receptive to the benefits of meditation – including its calming effect on your stress and anxiety levels.
3 – Meditation allows you to get to know yourself better
One of the less talked about benefits of meditation is that you get to know yourself better.
It gives you the opportunity to explore how your mind works – to tap into your thoughts and feelings – figure out why they’re there and how to work with them.
But if you think of meditation as something you should do it will feel like something you’re being forced to do – you’ll approach your meditation practice reluctantly, with a closed mind.
On the other hand, if you think about meditation as something you get to do, you’ll approach your meditation session with an open and curious mind.
And it’s with this mindset, that you can truly turn inwards and discover yourself.
Not just meditation – less “should do” more “get to” in your life
Next time you catch yourself saying “I should meditate”, try changing that to “I get to meditate”.
See if that changes how you approach your meditation practice, as well as your meditation experience itself.
But of course, it’s not just meditation we tell ourselves we should do.
Notice how often the word “should” crops up in other areas of your life…
“I should go to yoga”… “I should call Grandad”… “I should get some fresh air”…
Isn’t it more that we get to do those things…?
That we choose to do those things…?
And that we’re fortunate to do those things…?