How to start meditation for beginners
New research shows meditation may be as effective as some drugs.
self improvement, self improvement
Leave it to Gen Z to rebrand their alone time.
A wellness challenge is going viral on TikTok, and despite its eyebrow-raising name, mental health experts say it has real benefits. This is called “live dog boredom,” and similar to the popular travel trend of “live dogging” your flight by doing nothing for the entire flight, this trend involves allocating a set amount of time to sit alone without any distracting technology.
That means no phones, no TV, and no music. Just you, your thoughts, and your boredom.
Some videos of people squirming and attempting the challenge have gone viral online. Some commenters have noted that this trend is not necessarily revolutionary. One commenter likened it to “Gen Z’s reinvention of meditation.”
And you know what? That’s perfectly fine, says Stephanie Sarkis, a psychotherapist who specializes in ADHD and anxiety. She says it’s never a bad idea to step away from technology and focus on mindfulness.
“Anytime you can unplug and just be in the moment is healthy,” she says. “When you’re not doing anything and just sitting and thinking, it really helps you process what’s happening to you and your emotions. This is very common, especially if you’re using devices to try to avoid feeling things.”
TikTok, is short-form content ruining our attention spans?
The erosion of our society’s collective attention span by TikTok and other short-form video apps has been something of a joke for some time now. And unfortunately, this seems to be true. Research shows that short videos have a negative impact on attention.
That doesn’t mean you should never scroll through funny clips on your phone. But that means it needs to be done in moderation.
Serkis says it’s sometimes good to balance the constant flow of technological stimulation with intentional boredom.
“Many people have reached saturation on social media, and we are all looking for ways to stay in the moment,” she says. “We know that there is research showing that mindfulness can help improve quality of life.”
Additionally, she says that processing emotions is an important life skill. Numbing ourselves with technology can hinder that.
“Before social media, sometimes I would just sit and process things,” she says. “Doing nothing is a big part of life.”
How to meditate correctly
So how can we deal with “raw boredom”? Well, it might be helpful to look at some basic meditation principles. Here are some meditation tips from a mindfulness expert previously shared with USA TODAY.
- Get comfortable by eliminating distractions. “Make sure you are in a quiet environment, free from distractions, and wearing comfortable clothing. You should not feel cramped in any way,” said clinical psychologist Juanita Guerra.
- Select a specific time period. “If you’re new to meditation, I recommend starting small, with short, easy practices,” says Daniel Cacioppo, instructor and coordinator of meditation, yoga, and mindfulness at Yale University. “Try setting a timer for two minutes to start, because most people aren’t ready to sit in silence for 30 or 45 minutes at first.”
- Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. “Sit comfortably, breathe in and out, and end the exercise when the timer goes off,” Cacioppo says.
- Increase the length of your future meditation sessions until you find the duration and technique that works for you. “Repeat this short exercise throughout the day as needed, gradually increasing the time as needed,” Cacioppo said. “This is a skill that can be learned and takes practice and patience.”
Contributor: Darryl Austin
