How to quiet your mind (meditation tips)

I’ve been drawn to meditation for over a decade now.
But honestly, I’m just too restless and fidgety to actually stick with it or see any results.

No matter how many times I try, or how many minutes I spend sitting there attempting to "meditate," it never sticks.

I’ve tried focusing my breathing. I’ve tried using background music. I’ve tried heading out into nature or even just doing it in the shower.
Zero luck.

The first few minutes go fine, and then the chaos starts:
- this position is super uncomfortable
- did the kids finish their dinner?
- what am I making for dinner tomorrow?
- is the water getting cold?
- is there something Flying in the room?
- I really should have said no (to that thing that happened 15 years ago)
- how am I ever going to lose weight
- I really need to shave my legs
And just like that, I give up. 🕺

Do you guys Practice meditation?
Any tips on how to finally shut my brain up???? 🙂
Thanks.

Perhaps starting with guided visualizations would be effective for practicing concentration? Alternatively, one might try short, few-minute breathing exercises, or even movement-based meditation such as yoga or tai chi.

It’s nice to see someone actually drawn to meditation... those people are few and far between lately.😁
The real key when you're starting out is building consistency—meaning you actually stick to it. Without discipline, you aren't getting anywhere, just like in any other part of life. My next suggestion would be to experiment with different techniques. There's a massive amount of stuff online, but honestly, for a beginner, focusing on your breath is usually the best way to go.
Ideally, you should try to meditate every single day, but if that feels like too much, at least aim for every other day.
How long you sit isn't really the priority at first; as I mentioned, it’s about the continuity rather than doing one big session once a week—otherwise, you won't see much progress. Even if you only manage five minutes every day, that's still better than dragging yourself through an hour-long session once a week. It'll be much easier to extend your sessions later on.
The next—and arguably most important—piece of advice is this: don't try to force your mind to go quiet, because that's simply impossible. You can't actually stop thinking—so, in a weird way, trying not to think is itself a thought, if you catch my drift😁.
Think of the contents of your mind—the thoughts, emotions, mental images, and so on—as a passing show. Try to remain as the observer (the consciousness) without identifying yourself with the "show" itself. It’s going to feel difficult at first, but if you stay persistent, you'll get there eventually.
Good luck.😉

Robert Ruiz2 said:I’ve been drawn to meditation for over a decade now.
But honestly, I’m just too restless and fidgety to actually stick with it or see any results.

No matter how many times I try, or how many minutes I spend sitting there attempting to "meditate," it never sticks.

I’ve tried focusing my breathing. I’ve tried using background music. I’ve tried heading out into nature or even just doing it in the shower.
Zero luck.

The first few minutes go fine, and then the chaos starts:
- this position is super uncomfortable
- did the kids finish their dinner?
- what am I making for dinner tomorrow?
- is the water getting cold?
- is there something Flying in the room?
- I really should have said no (to that thing that happened 15 years ago)
- how am I ever going to lose weight
- I really need to shave my legs
And just like that, I give up. 🕺

Do you guys Practice meditation?
Any tips on how to finally shut my brain up???? 🙂
Thanks.

This happens to me too, even after 30 years of more or less regular transcendental meditation! 😲😁 😲
My head just feels like it's about to snap from it.
Today, for instance, I couldn't sleep at all despite hitting the sack at midnight.
I woke up at 5:30 AM. Then, at 6:00, I started my TM.
I barely managed to relax at all—instead, I spent most of the time spiraling through thoughts about everything and anything. Mostly about the company I work for, which is basically falling apart at the seams right now. 😬
So, I ended up getting up a little before my alarm went off and just went to scarf down a slice of bread with cheese and mayo. 🙂
Honestly, felt way better than TM. 😁

Robert Ruiz2 said:I’ve been drawn to meditation for over a decade now.
But honestly, I’m just too restless and fidgety to actually stick with it or see any results.

No matter how many times I try, or how many minutes I spend sitting there attempting to "meditate," it never sticks.

I’ve tried focusing my breathing. I’ve tried using background music. I’ve tried heading out into nature or even just doing it in the shower.
Zero luck.

The first few minutes go fine, and then the chaos starts:
- this position is super uncomfortable
- did the kids finish their dinner?
- what am I making for dinner tomorrow?
- is the water getting cold?
- is there something Flying in the room?
- I really should have said no (to that thing that happened 15 years ago)
- how am I ever going to lose weight
- I really need to shave my legs
And just like that, I give up. 🕺

Do you guys Practice meditation?
Any tips on how to finally shut my brain up???? 🙂
Thanks.

It’s all about practice, and specifically daily practice.
Start with just 5 minutes a day. But do it EVERY single day.
And like anything else worth doing, it takes years.

Shoot me a PM if you want to dig deeper.

swiftdrifter4 said:It’s nice to see someone actually drawn to meditation... those people are few and far between lately.😁
The real key when you're starting out is building consistency—meaning you actually stick to it. Without discipline, you aren't getting anywhere, just like in any other part of life. My next suggestion would be to experiment with different techniques. There's a massive amount of stuff online, but honestly, for a beginner, focusing on your breath is usually the best way to go.
Ideally, you should try to meditate every single day, but if that feels like too much, at least aim for every other day.
How long you sit isn't really the priority at first; as I mentioned, it’s about the continuity rather than doing one big session once a week—otherwise, you won't see much progress. Even if you only manage five minutes every day, that's still better than dragging yourself through an hour-long session once a week. It'll be much easier to extend your sessions later on.
The next—and arguably most important—piece of advice is this: don't try to force your mind to go quiet, because that's simply impossible. You can't actually stop thinking—so, in a weird way, trying not to think is itself a thought, if you catch my drift😁.
Think of the contents of your mind—the thoughts, emotions, mental images, and so on—as a passing show. Try to remain as the observer (the consciousness) without identifying yourself with the "show" itself. It’s going to feel difficult at first, but if you stay persistent, you'll get there eventually.
Good luck.😉

Spot on!

Isn't meditation essentially just carving out a dedicated space and a specific slice of time for the practitioner?

🥱

mistybison said:Perhaps starting with guided visualizations would be effective for practicing concentration? Alternatively, one might try short, few-minute breathing exercises, or even movement-based meditation such as yoga or tai chi.

I tried focusing on my breathing, but since I usually breathe all wrong, my mouth starts tingling and I get all dizzy. Music actually helped the most; I have such an overactive imagination that the music would just carry me away...

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I think I'll start with just five minutes at a time.
One more thing—do I really need to sit in that formal posture? Can I stretch my legs out? Or maybe just lie down while I'm starting out?
And what if I just drift off to sleep? That doesn't count as meditation, right?

Robert Ruiz2 said:🥱

I tried focusing on my breathing, but since I usually breathe all wrong, my mouth starts tingling and I get all dizzy. Music actually helped the most; I have such an overactive imagination that the music would just carry me away...

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I think I'll start with just five minutes at a time.
One more thing—do I really need to sit in that formal posture? Can I stretch my legs out? Or maybe just lie down while I'm starting out?
And what if I just drift off to sleep? That doesn't count as meditation, right?

Don't try to control your breath... just observe it. Direct your attention toward it. It also helps to do a few rounds of deep breathing right before you actually start meditating.
The posture doesn't matter that much—as long as you're comfortable.
Sleeping and daydreaming aren't meditation.😁
The goal is to become more aware of what’s happening in your own subjective experience... essentially, raising your level of consciousness.🙂

Robert Ruiz2 said:I’ve been drawn to meditation for over a decade now.
But honestly, I’m just too restless and fidgety to actually stick with it or see any results.

No matter how many times I try, or how many minutes I spend sitting there attempting to "meditate," it never sticks.

I’ve tried focusing my breathing. I’ve tried using background music. I’ve tried heading out into nature or even just doing it in the shower.
Zero luck.

The first few minutes go fine, and then the chaos starts:
- this position is super uncomfortable
- did the kids finish their dinner?
- what am I making for dinner tomorrow?
- is the water getting cold?
- is there something Flying in the room?
- I really should have said no (to that thing that happened 15 years ago)
- how am I ever going to lose weight
- I really need to shave my legs
And just like that, I give up. 🕺

Do you guys Practice meditation?
Any tips on how to finally shut my brain up???? 🙂
Thanks.

Have you tried mantras? You don't even have to say them out loud; sometimes just listening to them on YouTube helps. When you give your mind something repetitive to latch onto, it eventually settles down and goes quiet. 😁

Joseph Bailey41 said:Have you tried mantras? You don't even have to say them out loud; sometimes just listening to them on YouTube helps. When you give your mind something repetitive to latch onto, it eventually settles down and goes quiet. 😁

That is a wonderful idea! 👍

One great thing about mantras is that even after you stop listening, they continue to resonate in your mind, helping to quiet that usual mental noise for quite a while.

This one is my favorite: LAXMI MANTRA. I used to listen to it back in the day hoping for a windfall, though it didn't exactly make me rich. 🕺 😁 This one is incredibly cheerful and really lifts your mood: Kubera Mantra. 🙂

It has been a long time since I practiced mantras, so I might just dive back into them. 🙂

Joseph Bailey41 said:Have you tried mantras? You don't even have to say them out loud; sometimes just listening to them on YouTube helps. When you give your mind something repetitive to latch onto, it eventually settles down and goes quiet. 😁

What exactly is it that "stops and settles"?

silverwolf98 said:What exactly is it that "stops and settles"?

An illusion?🤔

mistybison said:That is a wonderful idea! 👍

One great thing about mantras is that even after you stop listening, they continue to resonate in your mind, helping to quiet that usual mental noise for quite a while.

This one is my favorite: LAXMI MANTRA. I used to listen to it back in the day hoping for a windfall, though it didn't exactly make me rich. 🕺 😁 This one is incredibly cheerful and really lifts your mood: Kubera Mantra. 🙂

It has been a long time since I practiced mantras, so I might just dive back into them. 🙂

Spiritually enriched?😁

Or maybe not even that—maybe a mountain is just a mountain. Perhaps we're really looking at some kind of Jungian sexual frustration. 😬

silverwolf98 said:What exactly is it that "stops and settles"?

Typo there. They should have written "gives up."😬

Joseph Bailey41 said:Typo there. They should have written "gives up."😬

Maybe there’s actually something to Freudianism after all?! Are you kidding me?

swiftdrifter4 said:Spiritually enriched?😁

This is... well... 🕺 😁

Mantras are genuinely effective tools for quieting the mind and improving focus. 🙂

silverwolf98 said:Maybe there’s actually something to Freudianism after all?! Are you kidding me?

Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. ☕

Joseph Bailey41 said:Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. ☕

Sometimes...

mistybison said:This is... well... 🕺 😁

Mantras are genuinely effective tools for quieting the mind and improving focus. 🙂

But are Hindu mantras actually "more powerful" than ones you just pick out yourself?