Meditation is one of those practices that many of us brush off as silly or a waste of time. We picture someone sitting cross-legged for hours doing absolutely nothing and thinking about absolutely nothing. We may have heard that it’s relaxing, but we don’t have time for it. That couldn’t be more wrong. Being in school to go into healthcare has taught me so much, but never in a million years did I think I would practice meditation as a result. The conversation about mental health is ongoing, and we can’t ignore it. Meditation is a great way to take care of your mind, and here are my thoughts about it after just a week.

It’s all about mindfulness

Mindfulness means being aware of how your mind and body are feeling. It involves tuning into all your sensations and thoughts. Even when you are trying to clear your mind during meditation, your thoughts are going to wander. Being mindful means that you can acknowledge those thoughts, then reel your focus back in.

You don’t have to go it alone

If you do your research, I’m sure you could find groups in your area who practice meditation. In one of my classes we had a guest professor come in to do a meditation with us, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. I have started using an app on my phone called Headspace. It talks you through full meditation sessions, so it requires minimal effort on your part other than hitting the start button. Every time I go on the app there are at least 10,000 people using it to meditate. You are never the only one.

It’s not as time consuming as you think

Maybe you don’t have an hour a day to devote to meditation. To be honest, neither do I. The Headspace app is nice because some of the meditations are as short as a couple of minutes. Everyone has a couple of minutes, so there’s really no excuse. Even spending that short amount of time meditating can make a difference. I tried to meditate every day this past week, which didn’t quite happen, but my long term goal is to make it part of my daily routine.

It keeps you grounded

Sometimes you just need a mental break during work or before doing an activity. There’s nothing wrong with stepping aside for a minute to take care of yourself. For me, meditation reduces anxiety and helps me to regain my focus.

It’s not silly

Mental health is not a joke. Therefore, neither is taking care of your mind. Meditation might seem strange or pointless, but don’t judge until you try it! You never know what might be good for you.