Meditation? Yeah, Completed It, Mate!
Why overthinking meditation is the real block to finding your Zen (and how to fix it)
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Meditation for anxiety: tick.
Meditation for abundance: smashed it.
Meditation for world peace: well, still working on that one.
Sounds impressive, right?
Like Iโve got a shelf somewhere filled with invisible meditation trophies, displayed in a mental cabinet next to my imaginary โMost Likely to Be Distracted by Shiny Thingsโ plaque.
Each one taunting my inability to sit still and breathe for more than 30 seconds.
But hereโs the twist: Iโm a fraud.
A fraud in the meditation world.
A frauditationist, if you will.
(Itโs a word!โฆOkay, I may have made it up: Shut up!)
The problem isnโt the meditation โ itโs me.
I treat meditative practices like an Olympic event, where the gold medal goes to โdoing it right.โ
Iโve got this mental checklist that feels more like an interrogation:
Am I sitting properly? Check.
Am I breathing? Check.
Am I relaxed? Oh no, Iโm overthinking it! Panic attack!
Am I really relaxed? Uh, I think I need a change of underwear!
Oh no, my shoulders are doing the Macarena.
Am I too relaxed?
Did I just drool?
Should I be this sweaty?
By the time Iโve ticked all the boxes, my brainโs tied itself into such a knot that even Houdini couldnโt untangle it.
It feels like airport security screening my inner-most unmentionables!
And donโt even get me started on the embarrassing moments: the loud burps, unexpected farts, and that one time my wife walked in mid-breathwork and thought I was practising for some kind of weird sex film.
The Realisation: Meditation isnโt a checklist
It took me ages to realise that meditation isnโt about achieving some zen-like state of nirvana where unicorns braid your hair and you float on a cloud of bliss.
Itโs about letting go.
Thatโs it.
But how do you do that when your brainโs running laps like a caffeinated hamster on a treadmill powered by bad decisions?
Hereโs what finally worked for me โ and might work for you, too.
5 Tips to stop obsessing and actually enjoy meditation
Expect Nothing (Literally, Nothing)
Go into meditation like youโre about to watch paint dry.
No fireworks, no epiphanies, no inner guru whispering secrets.
Itโs just you, your breath, and maybe some drool if you fall asleep (been there).Focus on Feeling, Not Thinking
Stop playing mental Twister with your thoughts.
Instead of asking, โAm I doing this right?โ ask, โHow do I feel right now?โ
Even if the answer is โbloody uncomfortable,โ thatโs okay.
Feel it, donโt fight it.Embrace the Chaos
Thoughts will come.
Theyโll parade through your mind like a drunken conga line at a wedding.
Let them.
Donโt try to kick them out; just nod, smile, and get back to breathing.Laugh at Yourself
Did you fall asleep and snort yourself awake?
Good!
Jolted awake so hard that you poked yourself in the eye?
Even better!
Meditation doesnโt have to be serious.
In fact, the less serious, the better.Set a Timer and Forget About It
Worried about meditating too long?
Not long enough?
Set a timer and let it go.
Youโre not running a marathon here; youโre just sitting.
If 5 minutes feels like eternity, start there.
If you hit 10 minutes, youโre basically Buddha.
Bonus points for using an alarm sound that startles you into accidental enlightenment.
Closing thoughts
Meditation isnโt about perfect posture, serene breathing, or looking like a monk in a meditation app ad.
Itโs messy, unpredictable, and sometimes hilarious.
And thatโs okay.
Itโs not about doing it right; itโs about showing up, even if youโre half-asleep, drooling, or occasionally punching yourself in the face.
So go on.
Sit, breathe, and embrace the chaos.
You might just surprise yourselfโฆor at least provide some entertainment for your partner when they catch you mid-snore (or mid-sex-act ๐).
And hey, if nothing else, itโs a solid excuse to escape the dishes for 5 minutes.
A moment of stillness (with a dash of chaos)
If youโre the type who treats meditation like a competitive sport (like me), maybe itโs time to put down the mental clipboard.
Start small, embrace the mess, and let yourself get it โwrongโ now and then.
You might find that the magic isnโt in doing it perfectly but in showing up at all.
Even if you burp, fart, or fall asleep mid-session, youโre still doing it.
Come on, you know youโve farted mid-meditation too โ donโt leave me hanging here!
And thatโs what matters (not the farts, the showing up!).
Now, why not try a 5-minute meditation right now?
Sit down, close your eyes, and see where it takes you.
No checklist, no pressure.
Just you and your breath.
Who knows?
You might even enjoy it (especially if itโs a sex act ๐).
So, what are you waiting for?
Sit down, screw it up, laugh at yourself, and call it meditation.
Itโs still better than doom-scrolling TikTok, isnโt it?