Can’t meditate? Try These Activities Instead
Meditation can be very calming and blissful - or very frustrating. While meditation encourages us to “sit still,” go inwards and learn how to observe our thoughts rather than buying into them, more often than not, sitting still for 5-10 minutes can be confronting for some.
There is a very common misconception that meditation means “clearing your mind of all thoughts.” We hear it all the time, “I can’t meditate,” “I can’t sit still,” “My mind wanders off.
However, our thoughts naturally jump all over the place - in Buddhist philosophy this is known as “the Monkey Mind” and is perfectly normal. The aim of meditation is not to stop this process, but meditation is about paying attention to your thoughts, watching them drift by as if they were clouds in the sky. Yes, noticing that your mind HAS wandered off.. Is meditation.
Good news though, for those who struggle to sit still, there are other approaches that can create a similar feeling of mental expansiveness like meditation - ever done the dishes and found it so calming, therapeutic and you’ve “dazed out?”
While the below techniques do not have the same body of research backing them like meditation does, they are certainly valuable alternatives to help tame that “monkey mind.”
Colouring In
They have been a craze for years, but adult colouring books really can help reduce anxiety, calm the mind and a great alternate stress relief. Research shows that colouring abstract, bespoke designs like mandalas or patterns can reduce anxiety in a meaningful way. Its symmetry and aesthetic promote calm, balance and quieten the visual noise of our surroundings, so we are simply focusing solely on the task at hand.
Colouring can also increase mindfulness, attention and creativity. The physicality of colouring can also help those who struggle with sitting still. It’s a more tactile, engaging use of our hands and senses, that keep us from feeling like we are swimming in our own thoughts.
Visualisation
We love a good visualisation and manifestation right! But just by closing our eyes, and envisioning our dream life in our mind, it is a great tool and tactic when feeling overwhelmed, stress or anxious.
By focusing on every intricate detail (how do you feel, how does this person act, what is this person wearing etc), you create distance between wandering thoughts and focus solely on the dream life you are creating. It’s a form of meditation in itself! Without even realising it. It is also great for bolstering your imagination and creativity.
Cloud Gazing
Ever sat on the grass underneath the clouds as a kid, looking up at the sky, making pictures out of the clouds floating by? Embrace your inner child with cloud glazing - it draws us outside of our mind, outside of our bodies and provides our brains with something calming to focus on.
Embracing nature, sitting still, tuning into our senses and using our creativity and imagination once again, we are creating distance between ourselves and our busy, scattered thoughts, harnessing them for just a moment.
Cleaning
Another tactile activity, the physicality of cleaning can also help us create distance between our thoughts. There’s nothing a good cleanse, clean out or reset can’t do. It doesn’t have to be big every time, it can be something small like cleaning out your work bag, or your make up case, your desk at work, even your car. Cleaning and clearing your space gives us a task to focus on, while also creating a sense of calm within our space. You know what they say - tidy space, tidy mind.
Journalling
Practicing gratitude, journaling, writing, morning pages or stream of consciousness - whatever you like to call it, writing three to five pages in the morning (without stopping and allowing whatever thoughts come up onto the pages) is a form of meditation.
It’s a way to break through the dialogue from your brain - a literal brain dump onto the page to shift those thoughts somewhere else. And don’t stress, they don’t have to make sense, because nobody ever has to read them. You can try this if you’re anxious or stressed about work or not sure how to tackle a task - simply by writing out a to do list and visualising everything in front of you can help put your mind at ease.
Baking
Similar to cleaning and colouring - using your hands is a great way to focus on something else than our monkey mind. It requires us to focus, to be tactile and to have fun!
This article was originally written by Wendy Serrano for Naked Harvest.