Less stress, more relaxation – that’s what many people hope for from meditation. Editor Jonas Heinrich undertook the self-experiment and meditated daily for a month. That’s what came out of it.
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30 days of meditation: what’s the point?
As a health-conscious person, the mindfulness trend has not passed me by. In addition, the past year, including restrictive corona measures and social distancing, has ensured that many people have increasingly dealt with themselves and their physical and mental health again. Guidebooks, lectures and newspaper articles drew attention to the numerous positive effects of meditation. This should make you think more clearly, sleep better and generally feel better. Out of curiosity and skepticism, I looked at scientific data on the subject and indeed: some studies show that meditative techniques can improve our psychological well-being and reduce stress, others doeven that meditation exercises can change the brain structure.
Scientific results are all well and good, but what about in practice? To find out, I decided to meditate every day for a month. Personally, I hoped that the self-experiment would allow me to switch off more quickly after work, to reduce everyday stress and to be able to fall asleep more easily again. You can find out below whether I made it through the 30 days and benefited from the meditation.
Challenge: Can I meditate daily?
Projects are all well and good – but if the implementation doesn’t work, even the best intentions are useless. Most people probably know this from New Year’s resolutions. The best protection against failure is a good plan with specific instructions and fixed deadlines. Therefore, at the beginning I determine exactly when I want to meditate and enter this as an appointment in the calendar. On days when I don’t exercise after work, I do a session right after work. On the other days, right before bed. In addition, for practical reasons I do not take a meditation course, but an auditory meditation, which I can flexibly play anytime and anywhere.
Week 1: Great motivation, great success
Highly motivated, I start the 30-day challenge and look for a suitable meditation unit in the audio streaming service on my smartphone on the first day before going to bed. With the search term “mediation” I immediately find what I’m looking for: A 10-minute “meditation for beginners” – just right for someone with no previous experience. Thanks to the deep, relaxing voice and slow way of speaking of the instructor, I can immediately engage in the meditation.
Sitting on the couch, I should concentrate on my individual body regions one after the other, perceive them and let them relax as much as possible. I should perceive emerging thoughts about the past day or other events without any judgment and let them fly away in a mental balloon. It’s difficult for me at first, but I quickly get used to it. There’s something liberating about letting go of events that would normally cause worry or other negative emotions. Before I know it, the first unit is already over – that went much faster than expected!
In the first week I actually pull it off and manage to meditate on the weekends before bed and on weekdays right after work. The ten minutes fly by and especially on weekdays my head feels much more orderly and carefree after work. So it can go on!
Weeks 2 and 3: Difficulties and doubts about the self-experiment
Leider geht der Selbstversuch nicht so reibungslos weiter, wie er begann. Wie so häufig kommt der Alltag dazwischen und arbeitsbezogene, persönliche oder sportliche Termine durchkreuzen an einigen Tagen meine Meditations-Pläne. Ich schaffe es nur noch an vier von sieben Tagen zu meditieren. Wenn der Vereinssport schon eine Viertelstunde nach Arbeitsschluss beginnt, bleibt die Entspannungseinheit leider links liegen. Und vor dem Zubettgehen fehlt mir teilweise schlichtweg der Wille, mir die zehn Minuten zu nehmen. Dennoch merke ich, dass mir jede Meditationssitzung guttut und versuche daher, dranzubleiben.
Woche 4: Ein Kompromiss
I notice more and more that a daily meditation does not fit into my everyday life. Fortunately, I also feel that this is not necessary. Because I realize that I find relaxation, stress reduction and a clear head above all in sports. The urge to immediately put on my running shoes and physical exertion after a typical 8-hour workday is in direct conflict with the 10-minute meditation. It doesn’t matter whether I go jogging to upbeat music and switch off mentally at the same time or burn off energy with the team sport Ultimate Frisbee – after an intensive training session I am happy, content and my head completely empty and deeply relaxed.
So my personal solution is this: On the days when I don’t exercise, I continue to do the 10-minute meditation, either right after work or just before bed. On all other days, physical exertion helps me to relax mentally, switch off my head completely and fall asleep faster.
Conclusion: Meditation yes, but not every day
If you are looking for a healthy balance to your stressful everyday work, regular meditation sessions could be just the right thing for you. The mental and physical relaxation helps to get rid of stress and clear your head within a very short time and with minimal effort. You are therefore welcome to try out a meditation for beginners – there are many available free of charge on the Internet. However, everyone can also achieve the same effects with other suitable means. The important thing is that it suits you and your individual needs. Making music, exercising, reading, listening to music , going for a walk or just spending time with friends – find out what really relaxes you, is good for your body and mind and use it for yourself.
