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The stress of being confined to the home along with not having a meditation center to go to can make meditation focus difficult
I have been talking to many meditation students these past few weeks since people have been in quarantine. The outbreak of COVID-19 has been stressful for people in many ways and here are the 3 main things preventing their ability to focus.
1. People are stuck with their family
We are ordered to stay inside for our own health so we are around our family members all the time. It is not a bad thing to be around family unless you don't like them. But people are trying to work from home so it becomes difficult to find one's own work space, and it is really difficult to focus with kids and pets running around, complaints and distractions from family members and the typical distractions of internet, cell phone and television.
2. Lack of exercise
People who normally get stress relief from exercising and moving around a lot, find that they don't have the space to exercise and tend to move around less, leaving the stress to stay within their body. This can accumulate over weeks. People tend to feel more lethargic and have a lot less energy if they aren't able to exercise. Things like depression and anxiety can fall into your mind without you knowing about it. The ability to focus or have motivation to meditate also diminishes over time with lack of exercise.
3. No private space to focus on meditation
This is extremely challenging for large families with limited space. In order to meditate, you need a room where no one can bother you for an hour or so. If there are frequent interruptions, you will get easily frustrated and avoid meditating altogether.
Tips for better meditation
There is no easy solution for this because of your circumstances. But here are some tips.
1. Make the time for your body and mind and take action.
Just thinking that you will do it or that you want to do it will not help you. You will need to make a schedule for yourself. When you were coming to a meditation center, it was easy to make the schedule and just show up because you are held accountable by the meditation guide. If you didn't show up, they may call you to ask why you didn't show up. But when meditating at home, you have to be responsible yourself so it is harder to commit to meditation and it is easier not to do it.
Exercise
There are also many workout videos on Youtube to help you workout from the comfort of your home. So set aside that desired exercise time. Try different exercises and find the one you like so that you are more likely to stick to the routine or try something different everyday.
Try the 100 Burpees Workout Challenge
If you want to learn something new and easy, you can try this Step By Step Salsa For Beginners
Meditation
When it is time to meditate, you will need to communicate with your family members or house mates that you are going to meditate and if they need you for anything or they are being loud you can talk with them and let them know that you will help them later. Go into any empty room and meditate.
Unfortunately, people can't read your mind so it is better to let them know of your intentions and what you need from them. I am sure they would try to accommodate you because after you eliminate your stress, you will be happier around each other.
2. Do meditation online or by phone with a meditation guide who can keep you focused and provide the right meditation material to improve your meditation mindset.
In the beginning it is not easy, but if you practice this, your meditation will improve over time. After practicing meditation diligently and sincerely for a month, you will feel the results. Long Island meditation has online classes which will allow you to meditate as if you were at the center. Try it out for a month at home and you will be able to create a good habit for yourself that can last a lifetime. Click here for a free intro.
Especially if you are new to meditation, you need to give it more time and patience. Meditation is a mental exercise and just like any other physical or mental exercise, you would have to practice it in order to become good at it. Far too many people try a few times and get frustrated because they can't focus. When you started riding a bike did you become an expert after a few tries? Keep at it and you will experience more energy and happiness overtime.
3. Read meditation books
Meditation is great on its own but when you read meditation books, they will help deepen your understanding of your practice and bring your mind to focus more.
New York Meditation has posted many book readings on Youtube so you can just listen at your own convenience.
Think of this time as a vacation: relax, exercise and meditate.
