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on't force yourself not to think. Because this isn't peaceful or mindful at all. Instead, allow your mind to think if it wants to and simply acknowledge when it does.Andy Puddicombe of Headspace describes it best as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN6g2mr0p3Q">thoughts being cars</a> that pass you by as you sit on the side of the road observing. Not focusing on any one car but simply just watching them go by.And when you inevitably get distracted and chase after a “car” of thought, simply notice that you were distracted, make a mental note of what the distraction was and come back to your breath.That’s it, that’s all you have to do. And when you do, guess what? You’re being present! The conscious effort of noticing and noting what you were thinking about allows you to create space to step out of that thought, back into your present state and let it go.There are two major benefits that arise from practising this technique of noticing and noting.<h2 id="766d">1. Trains your ability to focus naturally</h2>My ability to focus has improved exponentially since I started practising this technique.At first, you will get distracted a lot and it will take a good few moments to notice it too. However, like anything, the more you do it, the better you get at it. And of course, how you do one thing, is how you do everything.So soon enough, not only will you be quicker at spotting when you get distracted while meditating, but you’ll also naturally start to do the same when you are working or studying.Daydreaming was a major issue for me and since practising this technique, I can focus and get into that coveted flow state for periods of time that I thought was impossible for me!<h2 id="9589">2. Helps you understand what you think about</h2>“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” — Lao TzuWhat you think about massively shapes your future. You really are your thoughts. So understanding and shaping what you think about is hugely important to achieving your goals.However, most people struggle to know

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what they think about as a lot of it happens subconsciously. Since this technique requires you to assign a label to your thoughts, you will start to notice the themes and patterns of your thinking.And trust me, you will be shocked to see how much of that is negative self-talk. But you can’t weed out something you didn’t know was there. Hence why noting is a brilliant technique to structuring your thoughts not only for success, but for a peaceful and accepting mind.<h1 id="42ad">Try to Beat Your Score Everyday!</h1>To notice the benefits, you do have to practise this every day for at least a few months. But how do you make sure to stick to it consistently when there’s no way to tell if you are getting “better”?What helped me was to think of it as a game. See how many times you can catch yourself thinking while meditating and try to beat that number the next day.This way, instead of associating guilt to the act of catching distractions, you’ll start to reward yourself and feel motivated to improve every day.I used to feel annoyed whenever I caught myself lost in thought during meditation; I felt like I would never get better at simply being present.But when I started to try to beat my score every day, I was not only much nicer to myself when I got distracted, but I stopped forcing myself not to think and started to let go with the knowledge I was getting quicker and better at catching distractions.Aaaand boom! You’ve gamed yourself into being more present.<h2 id="526c">Patience always pays well</h2>As with any worthy skill, if you are patient and persistent with this technique, you will be positively shocked at how much your focus and quality of thinking naturally improves, without too much effort on your part other than just playing this “game” of noticing and noting.I used Headspace to help me get started with meditation and it took me around 5 months to start seeing the benefits of this technique. So don’t give up if you feel you aren’t getting better in the first few weeks. It’s totally normal to get distracted!Of course, there are also other numerous apps and techniques out there that could work better for you, so make sure to experiment and pick those that work best for you. Happy meditating!</article></body>

How I Gamed Myself into Being More Present

A simple technique to reframe thoughts for a more peaceful mind and a trick to keep at it every day

It’s hard to avoid talk of how important mindfulness meditation is for a healthy mind. And for good reason too. But finding the motivation to consistently take time out to meditate can be hard, especially when you don’t seem to be getting “better” at it.

I used to think I was just one of those people that “couldn't meditate”. And not for the lack of trying. I tried my best to set aside time and just focus on my breath with a clear mind. But before I knew it, I’d be lost in thought, thinking about that email I have yet to send, that sandwich for lunch or how much longer I was going to have to sit there...

And I’m not alone! So many people I have spoken to feel that they also “can’t meditate” because they have too many thoughts to achieve a silent mind. I say “can’t meditate” in speech marks because I absolutely think everyone can, but the preconceived notions of what meditation should feel like prevent people from sticking with it.

After I started using Headspace and researched a little more into meditation, I realised that the whole point isn’t to stop yourself from being distracted, but rather to simply notice the distraction. In time, with targeted techniques, you learn to sit with your thoughts, without actually thinking but just being in the moment with an observing but peaceful mind.

I want to share with you a technique that helped redefine the way I viewed thoughts and distractions as well as a trick that worked in keeping me motivated to practise this every day for the last 18 months.

This has massively improved the quality of my thoughts and allowed me to identify and focus on the aspects of my life that are actually important to me. Hope it helps you too!

Think of Thoughts as Cars Passing By…

The next time you sit down to meditate, don't force yourself not to think. Because this isn't peaceful or mindful at all. Instead, allow your mind to think if it wants to and simply acknowledge when it does.

Andy Puddicombe of Headspace describes it best as thoughts being cars that pass you by as you sit on the side of the road observing. Not focusing on any one car but simply just watching them go by.

And when you inevitably get distracted and chase after a “car” of thought, simply notice that you were distracted, make a mental note of what the distraction was and come back to your breath.

That’s it, that’s all you have to do. And when you do, guess what? You’re being present! The conscious effort of noticing and noting what you were thinking about allows you to create space to step out of that thought, back into your present state and let it go.

There are two major benefits that arise from practising this technique of noticing and noting.

1. Trains your ability to focus naturally

My ability to focus has improved exponentially since I started practising this technique.

At first, you will get distracted a lot and it will take a good few moments to notice it too. However, like anything, the more you do it, the better you get at it. And of course, how you do one thing, is how you do everything.

So soon enough, not only will you be quicker at spotting when you get distracted while meditating, but you’ll also naturally start to do the same when you are working or studying.

Daydreaming was a major issue for me and since practising this technique, I can focus and get into that coveted flow state for periods of time that I thought was impossible for me!

2. Helps you understand what you think about

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” — Lao Tzu

What you think about massively shapes your future. You really are your thoughts. So understanding and shaping what you think about is hugely important to achieving your goals.

However, most people struggle to know what they think about as a lot of it happens subconsciously. Since this technique requires you to assign a label to your thoughts, you will start to notice the themes and patterns of your thinking.

And trust me, you will be shocked to see how much of that is negative self-talk. But you can’t weed out something you didn’t know was there. Hence why noting is a brilliant technique to structuring your thoughts not only for success, but for a peaceful and accepting mind.

Try to Beat Your Score Everyday!

To notice the benefits, you do have to practise this every day for at least a few months. But how do you make sure to stick to it consistently when there’s no way to tell if you are getting “better”?

What helped me was to think of it as a game. See how many times you can catch yourself thinking while meditating and try to beat that number the next day.

This way, instead of associating guilt to the act of catching distractions, you’ll start to reward yourself and feel motivated to improve every day.

I used to feel annoyed whenever I caught myself lost in thought during meditation; I felt like I would never get better at simply being present.

But when I started to try to beat my score every day, I was not only much nicer to myself when I got distracted, but I stopped forcing myself not to think and started to let go with the knowledge I was getting quicker and better at catching distractions.

Aaaand boom! You’ve gamed yourself into being more present.

Patience always pays well

As with any worthy skill, if you are patient and persistent with this technique, you will be positively shocked at how much your focus and quality of thinking naturally improves, without too much effort on your part other than just playing this “game” of noticing and noting.

I used Headspace to help me get started with meditation and it took me around 5 months to start seeing the benefits of this technique. So don’t give up if you feel you aren’t getting better in the first few weeks. It’s totally normal to get distracted!

Of course, there are also other numerous apps and techniques out there that could work better for you, so make sure to experiment and pick those that work best for you. Happy meditating!