How Meditation Has Kept Me Sane (And Can Keep You Sane, Too)
Have I told you that sometimes I just lose my mind?
Not literally, of course. But I can get pretty damn close—overthinking, worrying, reacting, ruminating, getting overwhelmed, and generally letting my mind run the show.
And I'd probably still be there if I hadn't found something to lead me back to a more balanced state: meditation.
The Madness We're All Trying to Escape
Many of us are struggling daily. Dissatisfied with how our lives are unfolding. Realizing it's harder than we ever imagined. Wanting something more.
Deep down, we crave something—even if we can't quite name it. We want to touch life more deeply. To feel it more fully.
To do that, we have to become aware of the madness of the mind—the constant thinking, wanting, judging, comparing, and searching for something outside outselves to make us feel better.
That's what keeps bringing me back to the practice of sitting in stillness. It's how I return to a more grounded state—where I live intentionally, deliberately, and mindfully, instead of sleepwalking through my days and letting my ego lead the way.
Before I Started Meditating
Before meditation became part of my life, this is who I was (not all the time but more than I wanted to be):
A crazed perfectionist
Full of anxiety
Agitated and irritable
Quick to react and lash out
Ruminating on the negative
Raising my voice more than I ever wanted around my children
Overwhelmed, often
Hypercritical of myself and others around me
My Practice
I started meditating in 2006. Since then, I've trained with many different teachers, studied a range of traditions, and slowly built a practice that's entirely my own. I've had the privilege of teaching meditation to hundreds of people along the way, and I still learn something new about my mind and myself every time I sit.
What's Different Now
Meditation didn't make me perfect. Nothing does. But it changed nearly everything about how I move through the world:
I live with imperfection so much more easily.
My anxiety is manageable, and has become rare instead of the norm.
I'm calmer, more often than not.
I respond instead of react (most of the time).
I trust and believe in people more.
I don't ruminate the way I did in the past.
Overwhelm can't live here anymore. It still visits, but I know how to deal with it.
I'm kinder and more loving, to myself and to others.
A Gentle Caution
So, fair warning: only meditate on the days you want to be sane. 😉
If You'd Like to Start (or Keep Going)
Meditation doesn't need to look a particular way, and it doesn't require a special cushion, an app, or an hour of silence to count. It can be five minutes, first thing in the morning, just breathing and noticing.
HINT: If your mind is convincing you that you don't have time to meditate, start small. Even eight minutes. If eight feels like too much, cut it in half. Still resisting four minutes? Try two. Still too much? Try one minute—or even 30 seconds. The point isn't to force yourself into meditation practice. It's to find an amount of time your mind doesn't have a big argument with. Sit in stillness, breathe deeply, and start there. You can build from that.
You have more power than you realize to change how your experience your life.
Meditation is one way in.
With Love,
Veronica
If you're curious about building a practice of your own, I write about this, and about the small shifts that add up to real transformation, every week in Conscious Notes.
Veronica Connors is a spiritual life coach and the founder of Conscious YOU, a program helping people uncover their unconscious habits so their conscious life can rise. She's the co-author of Soul Steps: 52 Ways to Reconnect with Spirit and author of the children's book Gracie's Gift, the story of a quiet, wise little owl who finds her voice in a noisy world.
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