1,300 days of meditation: unlocking focus, serenity, and well-being | #36

If you are a regular reader of Atomic Learnings, you know that I’m all about streaks. I have streaks going for daily writing and reading, but my longest-running streak is about meditation. I recently reached 1,300 total days meditating and 700 consecutive days. After almost 4 years of meditating, I can say that it’s one of the best decisions I made in my life. I want to use this milestone to reflect on my journey and write about 3 ways in which meditation helps me in my everyday life.

Focus and productivity. Daily meditation had an immense impact on my productivity. Do you find yourself having a hard time focusing on one thing for a long time, especially when it comes to work? I did. My monkey brain used to wander in all kinds of directions all the time. Multi-tasking was a norm, and it was hard for me to engage in any kind of deep work. Daily meditation helped me cultivate focus. I still have the monkey brain, but meditation helped me tame the money and calm it down. As I started meditating regularly, I built up the muscle to be able to focus for long periods of time. With more focus came better productivity. I started getting a lot more done in a shorter period of time. And at that point, it became addicting. Now I can’t imagine my work without meditation. Before I sit down to work, I do a quick meditation session to recenter my focus. After the session, my mind is calm, quiet, and ready to engage deeply in whatever I’m doing. I always remind myself that I’m just 1 meditation away from doing great work. It’s true; combine meditation with the Pomodoro technique and you will see how much can be accomplished. 

One extra second. Meditation helped me be less reactive in life. When something happens, our brain produces an instant reaction. If the event is unpleasant, the reaction is usually bad and we often end up regretting it afterwards. Meditation taught me to observe my thoughts and emotions. It gives me 1 extra second - to notice my emotions, to stop myself from reacting, to realize that it’s better to stay calm. That one extra second is invaluable. 

A way to find solutions. When I have challenging problems in front of me, meditation is the first thing I turn to. Meditation quiets the noise, re-centers my focus, and refreshes my mind. It helps me clear my mind and face the problem with a better mental state. Combining meditation with writing helps me think through challenging problems and find solutions.

I didn’t know that a single practice would have such a profound effect on me. Daily meditation brought calm, productivity, and happiness into my life. If you haven’t started yet - do it today. You will not regret it.

Do you want a guide on how to get started with meditation? Share this essay on social media and reply to my email with a link or a screenshot to your post. I will share my guide of the best apps and resources to get you started on your journey.