Although rumination occurs naturally from time to time, when it feels like your mind is running a mile a minute, it can really feel distressing, overwhelming and endless. Times like these, you may wonder, is there anything that can truly quiet the mind?
While you may have heard that mindful meditation works, you might be wondering why and what to do if it’s not for you. The most challenging part of meditation is how to get started. When you sit down to close your eyes, does it feel like an impossible task to focus on anything besides the thoughts in your head? Sometimes, simply following the instructions of a meditation app helps the body to relax and in time you will begin to ground yourself. Without having to worry if you’re “doing it right,” following the process of “following your breath,” and “focusing on your body's sensations” will naturally pull your thoughts away from the worry.
It may seem like you don’t have time or you might not be sure if “it will work.” Try starting small with breath work counting, and challenge yourself to build a routine overtime. Take 2 minutes now to sit where you are, close your eyes, and take a deep breath in for 4 seconds. Count to 8, and then slowly release your breath for 8 seconds. Try to only focus on counting, and repeat this process 6 times. When you’re done, you will have completed 2 minutes of mindful breathing. Find 5 times a day to practice this, and you’ll accumulate 10 minutes of mindfulness for yourself and your nervous system.