A Doctor, a Lawyer and a Community Manager walked into a bar. They skipped drinks, sat down and started meditating.
I reconnected with college friends this weekend. One is a doctor in his first year of residency. Another is working at a big law firm. I’m working at a startup in San Francisco.
Our lives are so different nowadays but we found a surprising habit in common:
We all meditate.
Each of us has different reasons for meditating. We practice different styles, use different tools, and meditate at different times of the day.
The Doctor meditates to deal with stress.
“I’m working 6 days a week and the hours never end. Sometimes when I get home, I go straight to bed only to wake up the next morning and do it all over again. There’s so much change during your first year of residency. It’s stressful.The hospital actually provides a meditation instructor to help us deal with the stress. It’s also helped me calm the million thoughts that usually run through my mind.”
The Doctor practices meditation whenever he finds a spare moment and sometimes before going to sleep. He works with the hospital’s meditation instructor in-person or listens to that same instructor’s guided meditations on tape.
The Lawyer meditates for greater awareness.
“It’s really scary when you have those weeks that just fly by: Friday comes and you can’t remember what you’ve done since Monday. It’s easy to go through so many days without being aware. I meditate for awareness. I think awareness brings greater appreciation for life. There is a greater intentionality to what you are doing everyday.”
The Lawyer takes a short break in the afternoon to meditate. She has her own office so she does it right at her desk. She doesn’t feel benefits from meditating in the evenings.
The Community Manager (me) meditates for improved focus.
“You wear so many hats when you work at a startup. A single day can include writing, talking to people online and in-person, troubleshooting bugs, and analyzingdata. Switching between different types of work can be really distracting. I’m able to focus on each task better if I’ve meditated in the morning. As a friend told me, meditation trains your brain to get into flow.”
I use meditation apps (lately calm.com). I practice in the mornings, after I set priorities for the day but before I start the first task. I’ll also meditate in the afternoons if my ability to concentrate starts wavering or if I didn’t get to it in the morning.
The great thing about meditation is that it’s for everybody.
Anyone can do it and reap the benefits. Our research showed that time of day doesn’t affect whether you feel benefits from practicing. You can meditate sitting, standing, walking or even swimming. There are many styles but no ‘best’ style; there’s just the style that works best for you.
How to Start the Habit:
Right Now: Read our post about Getting Started with Meditation. Apps like calm.com, headspace and buddhify are popular amongst Lift users.
Then: The Power Lifters–Lift’s most active users– are doing a week-long experiment around meditation this week. Check it out. If you’re up for it, join!
Image © CC RELAXINGMUSIC ON FLICKR
Read Lift’s How to Meditate guide for more tips and free guided meditations.
