Easy Ways to Eliminate Distractions When Meditating at Home
Even people who have been meditating for years may still experience distractions during the practice. Since distractions may or may not leave you during your meditation sequence, it’s important to learn the art of letting it go. The key is to fix the distractions within your control and overcome the distractions that are there to stay.
Process your thoughts and move on
Think about your day as if you are watching a movie. More often than not, as you meditate you will see flashes from that movie as you go along. This is normal. Before you dive into a meditation sequence, try and give yourself some extra time to process your thoughts and let go of them. If your thoughts begin to arise throughout your sequence, picture yourself waving to them as your walking through your mind. You see them, acknowledge them, and then move on.
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Take care of the things in your control
Whether distractions in your household include a loud dishwasher, a crying baby, or your own thoughts, consider what you can do about it. For example, create a distraction-free space by decluttering and fixing any noisy appliances. If your distracted by your own child, consider if you could ask your neighbor to babysit for an hour. If you’re distracted by your own thoughts, ask yourself why you’re having those thoughts and why they’re taking up space in your mind. If it is not possible to keep your physical distractions at bay, then consider discovering ways to overcome your distractions.
Remind yourself of your goals
Throughout your meditation, remind yourself of why you’re meditating in the first place. Let your goals serve as motivation to achieving a successful session. Try to clear your mind of any distracting thought to arise and to focus on releases negative energy. If you find yourself having a stray thought, remind yourself of your goals, and then let those thoughts go.
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Embrace the “distractions”
If you have kids, dogs, or distracting partners in your home, you may discover it can be a challenge to have dedicated time to meditate. Try to set boundaries around your meditation time and make it clear to those around you that it’s your time to be alone with your thoughts. If this proves to be a struggle, consider inviting them in. You may be pleasantly surprised at how well a dog can sit and be with their own thoughts as you meditate, along with your children.
Focus on your breath
Some thoughts have sticking power, like a song in your head that won’t go away. If you find this happening, try focusing on your breath. Breathwork is a great strategy to use when your trying to focus in any meditation sequence and is even often used as a compliment to your sequence. Think about how long you breathe in, hold, and how long you breathe out. This allows your mind to focus on another task at hand will allow your mind to come back to meditation.
Accept how you’re feeling
Distractors like chronic pain are hard to move away from, but why not embrace these ailments instead? Consider a mantra that states you acknowledge your pain and allow yourself to learn from it. Pain can be mitigated by breathing so by focusing on your breath and embracing your pain, your pain loses its ability to distract you.
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Guest Writer Bio
Amanda Turner is a freelance writer and recent graduate who is exploring her passions through writing.
