Meditation is a wonderful form of self-care, but you have to know how to practice it to make it useful. Ironically, meditation practice is relatively simple, but people have ways of making it more complicated.

Here is a list of difficulties and solutions, which will help you learn how to use daily meditation as a powerful tool for making your world a calmer place.

Consistency

Congratulations, you did your meditation, and now you're good until the next anxiety attack! Wrong: meditating is a continuous process, and it requires attention every day.

If you are new, you can start with two minutes, then move to five, etc. The point is to make a habit and learn how to clear the busy mind every single day.

No matter how busy you are, always find the time for your daily dose of calming meditation. It shouldn't be too hard since smartphones have reminders and awesome relaxing apps.

Great expectations

Practice makes perfect! A month of meditation won't make you calmer or less prone to stress. Not because meditating isn't compelling, but because you have all these expectations, which are creating extra pressure on your brain.

Meditation is about letting go. Learn to enjoy the practice, the calmness, and the silence. The more joy you feel, the more remarkable things will happen.

Preparation

You don't need to make specific adjustments, but to fully enjoy and experience meditation, there are a few things you should do before you start.

Turn off all electronic devices, and wear comfortable clothes. Let your family members know that you want peace, take deep breaths, and affirm your intention.

Think to yourself: "I am focused," stretch out, and now you're ready for your daily practice of meditation.

It takes time to go from basic to more profound meditation, but just like anything else, you'll learn. The same can be said about preparing for the practice.

Self-doubt

Self-evaluating your practice means that you care, but it's also creating chaos in your head.

When you're always questioning yourself whether you're doing something wrong, it's demotivating. And with meditation, you're adding stresses, which is the opposite of letting go.

It's okay to feel a bit awkward when you're a beginner, but be kind to yourself, and it will pass.

Overthinking

On the one hand, you are meditating to quiet the mind. On the other, you aren't paying attention to what's going on in your head during the day.

You're caught up in overthinking, and you expect one meditation to take away all the stresses and the worries. It's not possible because meditation isn't enough.

What you can do is start observing your mind. Don't judge it, recognize your thoughts, and later, when you do your meditation, this will help it be more efficient.

Too much information

A daily meditation averages 20 minutes. Do you think it's possible to clear all the useless info you received in the past 24 hours during that time?

Let's compare it to working out: you spend 20 minutes in the gym and eat empty carbs during the rest of the day. You won't lose weight or get better health, and the same rules apply to meditating.

Learn to turn off the mind from media overexposure. Meditation can help you with that, but you have to show intent and practice every day to learn to cope with modern life.

If you're a beginner, focus on guided meditations, and as you learn to meditate more effectively, you'll get to the point where you will be the guide. Meditation isn't a miracle but a path to clearing all the negativity and toxins from your mind to live your best life.

Be gentle with yourself, and think of meditation as a daily dose of positivity in an overwhelming world!