Chad Zizelman Coaching

Do you ever lie awake at night with a million thoughts running through your head?

Well, you’re not alone. A ton of us suffer from this same thing.

Know that you are perfectly normal. Life is complicated and unique for every person.

The reason for these left over thoughts is simple.

You have few moments of mental silence throughout the day. The day is filled with activities that keep your mind running and your own thoughts get pushed to the back of the priority list.

Think about your day..

• You wake up and instantly start getting ready for the day
• You listen to a podcast or radio station on the way to work
• You get in your 8+ hours
• You listen to more podcasts and radio stations on the way home
• You cook dinner, clean and spend time with your family
• You get your next day prepared
• You unwind while watching a show
• BOOM! You’re laying down to sleep because it’s 11pm and you need to get up in 7 hours

See what is wrong with this?

The problem is that the moment you woke up until the moment you went back to bed, you had no more than a couple minutes between activities to spend time to just think.

The result is that you have all these unsatisfied thoughts burst out when you finally take a moment to yourself. They have been waiting all day and now they finally have their chance!

This is just the first domino though. 1 day of many.

Just because you made it to the next day doesn’t mean those thoughts are in the past. They add up over time and can get to overwhelming levels. So much so, that you can even develop mental conditions (depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar, ADD, etc.).

This is why meditation is taking the world by storm right now.

Meditation used to only be associated with Indians, Asians and hippies but has been (FINALLY!) hitting the main stream in recent years. This breakout of the practice is a result of all its benefits.

What is meditation?

All it is, is taking a little time out of your day to think deeply and focus.

So if the word meditation discourages you, change the label. Call it quiet-time if you want.

Start with 5 minutes a day and slowly expand the time period week by week. You can do it in any position, but I recommend sitting, as it keeps you awake and helps you stay focused inward.

I highly recommend the app Buddhify or Plum Village. Both provide short, simple guided meditations for beginners that still allow you to spend time in silence. Some of the other apps I have experienced have too much talking involved in the meditations and I have found that they do not always allow you to actually spend time inside.

If you don’t want to do a guided meditation, just sit in silence. That is my preference.

I do different types of meditations depending on what I need that moment.

If I need a mental break, I sit and focus on my in and out breaths. I acknowledge any thoughts that may come but just let them pass and use my breath as an anchor to return to.

If I have thoughts that need dealt with, especially painful ones, I sit in silence and give them love. I think about them and try to come to peace with them.

If I’m feeling down, I sit and think about all the positives in my life. Even if only a couple pop up, I smile and relish in them.

Meditation (or quiet time) is as essential in our daily life as brushing your teeth. Take time to do it.

You can fit it into your schedule however works for you. Play with different times and see what is most beneficial.

I will be writing more on meditation but there are so many ways to learn about it. Thich Nhat Hanh wrote many great books that can help you with this and beyond.

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Thanks for reading!

Feature Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash