When you’re really emotional how do you talk yourself into meditation?

That’s usually when I feel most like I need to meditate? Of course, feeling like I need to and actually sitting down are two separate things. I’ve struggled with wanting to meditate and procrastinating away from it, sometimes. Usually I end up telling myself, aloud, “stop,” when I catch myself in that cycle, and then try to just breathe for a bit. Then sit down and begin.

But if my head really is full of a lot of emotions and I’m having trouble even wanting to sit? I journal. I write until I feel like at least I’ve expressed myself, to myself, on the page. I keep a nice journal not far from where I meditate. In a way it’s like taking a different kind of meditation, one where I focus directly on my emotions and move through them, acknowledging them completely, and all the context that brought them up inside of me. It can help to even augment this with taking some good long breaths while writing, both to focus on the writing and to relax while writing it all out.

Usually after that I feel much more settled and ready to let go for the meditation session.

All else failing, I’ve learned that sometimes I just need to sit and try, even if I’m completely restless and emotional. It is, sometimes, the most challenging practice sessions of meditation that end up giving me the most insight into how to progress at it overall and carry the benefits or meditating into the rest of the day or to make it easier to let go when it’s time to sleep. So if nothing else can convince yourself to sit down and try, just let the fact that it is hard and that makes it worth the trouble tip the balance and insist to yourself on trying.

And I’ll tell you a secret: I took up meditation because I knew I was going to be bad at it. Not talented at it at all. I needed to commit to something that I wasn’t going to be good at in order to grow my skill of persistence. I have become better at it, over time, by degree, though still not good, and most often because of the days it was really hard and I just plunked myself down and made the best of it, journaling, breathing, and fidgeting through it all. Usually goes back to being easier soon enough.

Best of calm fortune find you…

Meditation calms me down, so it’s usually not too difficult to talk myself into it. However, if I’m feeling especially unmotivated, I tell myself that it’s only a few minutes. I also might ask myself to choose between what I want at the moment (to skip meditation) and what I want more (to meditate and build discipline).

I have to silence the noise in my head so I go for along walk in my favourite spot and sit by the stream and this helps a lot

If you're in an emotional state and also preventing yourself from meditating hey. Take it easy on yourself. Remember why you're doing this! The whole reason we go and sit our bums on the cushion is to be good to ourselves. This will help: Give yourself a moment and time to cool off. Walk around, do some light stretching. Really enjoy the stretches! Do whatever feels gooood! Giving your body some attention and care will really help. Breathe three huuuge deep and slow breaths. You'll feel the difference before and after.

When you begin to sit down, just take a moment to witness your surroundings. Close your eyes and just feel. Even for just 30 seconds. Just witness the flow of sensations arising and passing wherever they are. You can keep doing this for the whole duration of you like! Whatever feels good and is conductive to your practice do it. You're doing the best for yourself and every moment doing that is a moment to celebrate so well done. X

Usually try to sit down and think about the who what when where why and how I got this emotional and is it really worth the stress

I know i'll feel better after I finish. Maybe I'll figure out a way to get out of the situation that is making me emotional, or the meditation itself will shift my attention to more positive mindsets. In these cases I like to listen to a guided meditation podcast so my mind doesn't wander around in negative thoughts and I have something to focus on. I hope you feel better ☆

A good way to start is to breathe. Try to balance your inhale and exhale, and take your time. There is no need to rush. Concentrate on your breathing until you feel calm enough to meditate.

Hope this helps.

I use what I have learnt in meditation- I breathe and focus on my breath for a minute, then I do a body scan, then I focus on breath for another minute – I’m usually OK by then and have also basically meditated too.

I try an emergency meditation by looking at the Calm.com breathing circle and breathe for 3 minutes to calm down.

Also can find somewhere quiet to sit and just breathe deeply for 1 to 3 minutes, focusing on the breath.

Walk back and forth while breathing thinking in, out. If already outside breathe while truly observing what's around me, especially nature even if just curbside trees.

Gently stretch, then sit and breathe. Can turn on a guided meditation for 3, 5, 10 minutes.

I use a guided meditation. A compassionate voice soothes me. I say to myself that I need time for myself now, that I will feel better after a meditation. I feel grateful to myself even for a short meditation. Done is better than perfect.

I just dso it or consider a nice nap my mediations because sometimes I completely shut down when I meditate like I do in naps.

Sometimes meditation helps me deal with my emotions, and it has helped me learn to remain calmer in situations that would make me more emotional. Meditation is like a little escape from daily life an gives me relief