Day 14

Today has been crazy! I have a ton of homework and I won't get home until 9:30 tonight! So, I have had to meditate in small sections throughout the day. I meditated for about 5 minutes this morning, 10 at lunch and I just finished meditating for 10 minutes in the car on the way to Subway for a quick dinner.


Even though it is not ideal, meditating in small segments still has the same effect that a long meditation has on me. I still feel calmer after each session and my productivity is still excellent. It is a relief to know that on crazy days I can still meditate and attain benefits while maintaining a hectic schedule.

Day 13

Today I had three tests to study for so I meditated right before I began to study in hopes that it would increase my awareness. Instead of focusing on my breathing like I normally do, I focused on an image in my mind of myself studying in a focused and productive manner. I did this because I wanted to make myself believe that I could remain focused for a long period of time without taking any breaks. 

Guess what? It worked! after meditating I opened my books and began to study. I remained focused for about 3 hours and the only reason that I stopped was because my brain was feeling numb. Usually it takes me 2 hours or longer to study for one test. Today, with a focus that I have never had before, I  got through 3 subjects in 3 hours! This was due, not only to the focus that meditation gave me, but also to the fact that meditation stimulates the brain which helped me learn the concepts faster.  

Day 12

Today I got stuck in rush hour traffic on the way to see my Grandparents in Novi. I had had a good day in school and nothing too stressful had happened so I was in a good mood when I started out. However, when I encountered all the horrible traffic my mood immediately changed. I could feel the stress enter my body and I began to tense up. After a few minutes of stress and aggravation I realized that instead of getting angry I should meditate. So, keeping my eyes open, I focused on my breathing and I began to calm down. Even though the traffic continued to get worse and I was running late I remained calm and refused to get stressed.  

Day 11

Since I finished all my homework on Saturday I felt very relaxed today. Therefore a long meditation session wasn't necessary. I simply put on my ocean music, sat on my bed and meditated. It was very soothing and I felt so calm after my meditation that I fell asleep. Falling asleep is probably not the point of meditation but it is a nice side benefit to the sleep deprived. 

Speaking of sleep, I have noticed that since meditating I have been sleeping better. Before, I would lay in bed for a long time before my overactive mind would stop thinking about everything that had happened that day. Now, I lay down on my bed and I am asleep almost instantly even if I don't meditate at night- obviously this is due to the calming effects of meditation. 

Day 10

Today I decided to meditate to the sounds of the ocean. I found a recording of the waves crashing onto the shore and every time I heard the waves crashing I imagined that they were crashing against my stress and taking them away out into the ocean. I think that most of my stress comes from the perpetual motion of our society. Everyone is going somewhere or doing something every second, unless they are sleeping, including myself. 

The problem is that we can't stop. We're all running a race and if we stop we will be trampled by everyone else. When we finally can get up we will be so far behind that we'll never get the medal that we worked so hard for. When you're running a race you can't look around at the beauty of nature; you have to keep your eyes straight ahead and concentrate on the people that are ahead of you. And, when your coach yells at you to pass someone, you better pass that person.  

For me, the race is IB and the medal is the IB diploma and acceptance letters from my dream schools. The coach is my family. They tell me that they will be proud of me no matter what but I know that they will be so disappointed if I don't reach my "potential".What is my potential? I have no idea. I am the youngest in my family and the last person to make everyone's dreams come true. All of my cousins and my brother have disappointed my family in someway or another; I am the only one left to make my family proud.

So with these depressing thoughts in my head I closed my eyes and meditated to the sounds of the ocean. As I listened to the waves I could feel my stress melting away and peace left in its place. At the end of the meditation I felt renewed and ready to face my crazy, hectic life.  

Day 9

I decided to meditate this morning before I went to school. I wanted to see if meditating before school would relieve my stress during the day. I know that I'm not supposed to time my meditations but since I had to be at school for a 6:30 Student Council meeting it was necessary to only meditate for about 15 minutes at the most. So I meditated sitting on the cold floor with my eyes open and focused on my breathing. I was on the floor so I wouldn't fall asleep.

I went to school in a happy, content mood.  But, despite my best efforts,  I have continually been stressed out by the pressures of life. However, instead of going into panic mode, I have tried to "go to calm" every time I get stressed. For me calm is the beach as the sun is rising over the waves. This method has been successful almost every time I have tried it today.

Day 8

Today we finally went back to school. When I was at home because of the snow days I was very relaxed and was able to focus on my meditation. However, being back in school and all the homework that I have to do has caused my stress level to increase. I tried to meditate but I wasn't able to focus properly. This was obviously a result of the stress I felt and the fact that I didn't want to meditate today. 

I find that when I am really stressed and anxious a good 30 minutes of hard exercise seems to work better than sitting calmly on my bed and focusing on my breathing.So that is what I did- I pounded all my frustration out on the treadmill. When I got done I cleaned up and then I attempted meditation again- lying on my bed and focusing on breathing. This time it worked because I was able to get rid of my anxiety long enough to convince myself that I needed to meditate. Once I got into the right mind- set I was able to focus and discover what was bothering me and get rid of it. 

Day 7

Wow, I've been meditating for a week! Looking back on my goals, I think I have accomplished most of them already! My sleep patterns have improved, I am able to focus on the project at hand without constantly looking at my phone, and I have become a calmer person. 

Today we had another snow day so I was able to wake up at a normal hour(9:30- its a miracle!) and meditate before I started my day. I found some rain forest music a few days ago that I thought would be perfect for meditation so I put that on and meditated laying on my bed- it was perfect. 

Last night my Mom was getting really stressed out because she found out that she had to take my dad to the airport when the original plan was that his boss was going to take him. Usually when she gets stressed I leave the room before I do something wrong but this time I decided that she needed to meditate. I made her some green tea and taught her to focus on her breathing to calm herself down. Guess what... it worked! And even better, guess what I got this morning for my efforts... homemade chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven! 

Day 6

Today I had a nice, short meditation session. I was very calm all day so I just did a quick session- laying on my bed and focusing on my breathing- to preserve my good mood. Since I didn't have to go to school I was able to avoid technology for most of the day. Unlike last time, I felt very calm without my technology and I realized that constantly checking my phone makes me very anxious. When I remove the phone and rationalize the fact that a few hours away from social media will not kill me I feel very peaceful.

I have recently noticed that my Dad always seems very anxious so I think that I'll ask if he wants to meditate with me sometime soon. He probably has always been very stressed out but I never noticed because I was so stressed out too. He is leaving on a business trip tomorrow so I'll have to wait a few weeks before I can show him how it is done.   

Day 5

I don't know why but today I didn't have a good meditation experience. I was sitting on my bed with my eyes closed and focusing on my breathing but I kept on getting distracted. No one was home and nothing happened today that should have caused anxiety. I just kept on getting songs stuck in my head and they wouldn't go away. I even tried to picture a flower in my mind and then when a song came into my head I would try to make the petals blow off into the wind. However, instead of blowing off into the wind the petals turned into fireworks and I got even more distracted! So, I gave up after 10 minutes of distraction and ran on the treadmill instead.I felt calm after my run so I guess the running had the same effect as the meditation. 

Day 4

It's official: I am addicted to technology. Since yesterday was Sunday I was a church all morning and I didn't have time to miss my phone and laptop. However, once I got home I started to panic- I needed my phone, I needed to know what was happening! I realized that checking my phone has become a habit of mine. Whenever I finish a task I check my phone, whenever I am bored I check my phone, whenever I have a second of silence I check my phone. 

After 5 minutes of pacing in my room, not knowing what to do, I realized that meditation was the only solution to my anxiety. So I laid on my bed, closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I began to calm down and feel my stress melt away.... ring ring ring. I heard a phone ringing! I jumped out of bed faster than I ever have and sprinted down the stairs to assuage my need for electronics. Half way down I realized what I was doing. I

 took a deep breath and managed to convince my legs to carry me back upstairs to my empty, technology free room. I resumed my meditation and worked to convince myself that I wasn't going to die from 24 hours free from technology. 

When I finished my meditation it was 3 pm. I had at least 6 hours before I would become tired and I had no idea what to do. That's when I noticed my bookshelf. I realized that I hadn't read a book in a month. I used to not be able to get my head out of a book and now I couldn't even manage to find time to look at a book that wasn't required by a teacher! So I went to my bookshelf and randomly picked out a book- Harry Potter, perfect!I became so absorbed in the world of Hogwarts that I didn't even realize what time it was until Dad yelled at me to come to dinner 4 hours later. 

At first I was terrified to go without technology but I realized that life doesn't have to center around technology. Humans have managed to survive without cell phones and computers until the last 15 years. Nobody died from their lack- in fact people lived longer and enjoyed life. I realized that I to can live without the constant presence of technology. Yes technology is important. I will still use it to connect with friends and family, watch silly videos and (sadly) do homework. However, now that I am mindful of the negative impact technology has had on me, I intend to make a concerted effort to minimize my technology usage. I will endeavor to enjoy life through my eyes, not through my phone screen.  

Day 3

This morning I woke up well rested after 10 hours of sleep. I immediately sat down on the floor and began meditation. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I was able to think about absolutely nothing because I had just got up and hadn't had time to get stressed yet. I meditated for about 20 minutes and then I started my day. 

As I began my day I noticed a lot of changes to my personality. In the morning I usually feel very annoyed at the world and don't like talking to people until I have my coffee. Today I didn't need any coffee! After meditating I felt happy and alive. I was able to carry out a civilized conversation with my mom and I think she almost died of shock when I didn't yell at my brother for eating all of my favorite cereal! It was actually really strange because I didn't even feel mad about the cereal. 

It is very interesting to think that something as simple as meditation could change my personality! Besides the fact that I have gotten nicer, I have also noticed that I am not as distracted as I used to be. Usually I am checking my phone constantly but today I don't feel the need to do so. This isn't anything brilliant (more like common sense) but, I have discovered that checking my phone constantly is not necessary. If someone texts me my phone will go off and I will know that I have a message. As to social media, has anything really important ever been tweeted or posted? 

I think that tomorrow I will go on a digital detox. It will be really hard because I like to know what is going on at all times. However, it will be interesting to see how addicted I actually am to my technology. The thought of being without my phone for a whole day is actually REALLY scaring me. I think I need to meditate! 

Day 2

Today I tried Guided Meditation. I tried really hard to get past the voice and focus on meditation but I just couldn't. I know it works for some people but, if I want to clear my mind of all thoughts then a voice in my head is not going to help me. After five minutes of that annoying voice telling me that I was at the beach when I clearly was not, I gave up. I laid on the floor in my room and closed my eyes. It was perfect! I immediately felt the tension go away and I was floating in the clouds. I think I might have fallen asleep though because I opened my eyes 2 hours later and I couldn't remember what had happened. Maybe I should try sitting up next time and focusing on my breathing so that I don't drift off into sleep and lose the meaning of the exercise. I might even try a candle tomorrow. I want one that smells like the beach or like a forest! 

Day 1: My First Attempt

Tonight I tried meditation for the first time. I started off in my room, on my bed, with my legs crossed and my eyes closed.  My peace and tranquility lasted for about a minute before my dog decided that it would be fun to jump on me and lick me to death.After extracting myself from his slobbery kisses, I went down to the basement and locked the door. I sat on the carpet, closed my eyes and began again. After a few seconds the arctic cold began to seep through the carpet and I lost my focus. So, I turned the heater on, moved to the couch, laid down and closed my eyes. I focused on my breathing and FINALLY began to relax. When I opened my eyes, 20 minutes had passed and I felt relaxed and refreshed! 

Lessons learned:

• When attempting meditation lock the door
• Never sit on the floor during a polar vortex
• Laying on a couch or bed is comfortable and relaxing
• Focusing on breathing effectively removes distractions and is very peaceful           

Next Time: Tomorrow I think that I will try guided meditation if I can find something that is not too creepy!

Day 1

As I begin this journey I have a few goals that I wish to accomplish: 

1. As an IB student, anxiety is a huge part of my life. Whenever a project is due or whenever a test is coming up I become stressed and anxious. With meditation I hope to counteract my stress and learn to stay calm when the world around me is in chaos. 
2. Like most Americans, I don't get enough sleep. When I do manage to go to bed at a decent hour, thoughts continually run through my head and I am tossing and turning all night. By practicing meditation I hope to erase the unwanted thoughts from my mind and put myself in a peaceful frame of mind that is conducive to sleep. 
3. With all the technology and people that continually surround me, it is extremely hard to remain focused. Through the practice of meditation I hope to learn to focus my mind on one thought at a time. When I accomplish this goal I will become a better student and a more productive individual.  
4. Another negative effect that technology has had on me is that I am unable to appreciate the beauty of the world around me. I often get so wrapped up in checking social media, texting friends, and getting caught up in the chaos of my hectic life, that I forget to appreciate the silence and beauty of nature. By practicing meditation, I hope to learn how to tune out the constant bombardment of sound  and focus on nature and learn serenity.                                                        In Conclusion, I hope to reduce my anxiety, increase my sleep, increase my focus and focus on nature and serenity.