Summary

An individual shares their transformative experience of meditating daily for over three years, which led to increased calmness, mindfulness, and focus.

Abstract

The author of the article discusses the profound impact of a 1250-day meditation streak on their life. They explain that despite not living in a monastery, they have experienced significant personal growth through consistent practice. The benefits they highlight include a newfound default state of calmness, which was also noticed by their colleagues. The article emphasizes that mindfulness is not just a trend but a practice that enhances the appreciation of life's simple pleasures. Additionally, the author notes a remarkable improvement in their ability to focus, drawing a direct correlation between their meditation habit and an increased capacity for concentration and productivity. They caution that the benefits of meditation can diminish if the practice is discontinued, as experienced during a break in their routine while in London. Overall, the author concludes that meditation has been instrumental in changing their life by fostering calmness, mindfulness, and focus.

Opinions

Meditation has modern-day relevance and is not exclusive to traditional settings like monasteries.
Regular meditation practice can lead to a more composed and less anxious disposition.
Mindfulness, though often considered a cliché, is a valuable practice for enhancing one's quality of life.
Meditation helps in recognizing and savoring the joyful, often overlooked aspects of daily life.
The author believes that the ability to focus can be significantly improved through meditation.
The author suggests that the positive effects of meditation may not be immediately apparent but become noticeable when the practice is stopped.
The author is an advocate for meditation as a tool for personal development and happiness.

I Survived Meditating For 1250 Days Straight (Here’s What Happened)

No, I didn’t live in a monastery

Meditation has become en vogue in the last 10 years.

Finally, people worldwide have started to realize it’s more than something yogis do to mix things up when procrastinating.

It took me a while, too. But in the last couple of years, I’ve been meditating for the most part, and it has changed my life.

Here’s what happened.

Calmness became my default state

I was never a hyperactive child.

I didn’t jump on the sofa and (almost) never ran through the house. But I tended to overthink.

Although my body wasn’t, my mind was racing, more often than not. I’d think about the weirdest scenarios, daydream about other things, and overthink every decision.

Often, I didn’t notice how much this made me nervous and insecure.

All of that changed when I meditated for such a long time. I became calmer, more chill.

My colleagues in London confirmed that, too. We sat together at lunch and talked about the different characters we have on the European team and what they do in their spare time.

As soon as I opened up about my meditation practice, people said, “Oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense.” I asked them why, and they said, “You’re always making a chill and collected impression. Without being untouchable.”

It’s true: meditation calms you, which radiates.

Mindfulness is more than a trend

I know mindfulness can be a horrible buzzword.

People use it all the time, and being in the moment either sounds like a drug experience or feeling the fires of hell burning through your soul when you sit in a corporate job you hate.

But if we let it be, mindfulness can be amazing, too.

Meditating helped me to become more mindful.

No, I still don’t enjoy every single moment of my life. But I became better at realizing many joyful moments in everyday life.

Here’s what I mean:

the incredible smell of freshly ground coffee
the birds chirping in the morning
the beautiful irregular sounds of rain
the mesmerizing smile of my GF when I’m goofy again

Everyday life offers us many things we can enjoy and be grateful for. However, we often don’t see them.

Meditating has helped to open my eyes more often to enjoy what’s right in front of me.

Not the things I’d get with more money, not the persons I’d see on the other side of the world, but the things and persons right in front of me.

This sets your brain straight.

Mindfulness is where happiness is found.

Focus has never been easier

Nope, you won’t be able to cut through steel with your laser-like focus.

And you can still get distracted. But my focus was incredible when I’ve been meditating for so many days.

It sounds crazy, but if you can sit down and focus 10 minutes on your breathing, you can sit down an entire hour and write, write, and write some more.

The hook? You don’t know it at this moment.

Only when you stop meditating, you realize how your brain defaults to being all over the place again.

That’s what happened when I was in London and stopped meditating because I couldn’t “feel” the benefits anymore.

My mind started racing all the time, and I couldn’t hold a single thought.

Only when I started meditating again did I increase my focus capacity. Now, it’s finally as good as before.

Meditation is the best, low-key way to improve focus.

My daily meditation practice between the summer of 2016 and (stopping in) fall of 2019 has helped me realize the following:

Calmness can be a default mental state
Mindfulness is more than a buzzword and a great way to find happiness in everyday life
Focus can be trained

Thank you for reading!