Four weeks ago, I began my participation in a meditation study. I found out about it through UConn’s Counseling and Mental Health Services. I got to wear a cool brain sensing headband every time I went to meditate in a designated room in Arjona. I only had to go twice a week for 10 minutes, and I would meditate for 10 minutes at home on the other days.

I was optimistic about the effects meditation might bring into my life. In the past, I had listened to a few guided meditations but was never able to sit and breathe quietly without my mind thinking nonstop. I had never committed to the act of meditating or really attempted to get better at it.

I noticed within the first week how much easier it had gotten to redirect my thoughts back to breathing. The art of meditation is teaching yourself gratitude. When you notice a thought you should tell yourself, “Thank you for reminding me to go back to my breath” and then go back to breathing. It honestly changes your entire outlook on the event of getting off track. Giving yourself positive reinforcement instead of getting mad really changes the experience.

Our brain thinks all the time. It is made to think and has thought constantly since birth. It is not easy to just halt all those thoughts at the drop of a hat. You have to be patient with yourself. When you say “I can’t meditate because I can’t stop thinking” you’re setting yourself up for failure. When you say it’s “it’s not something I am good at” you’re not even attempting to get better.

Try it with open arms. Do it for 10 minutes a day for just a week, then you can tell me you don’t like it. 10 minutes a day fits right in when you wake up, before you go to bed, after you shower, or literally any other time during the day. There is no right place or time to meditate, it is simply committing your mind to the effort of it. If you can do that, then the benefits will come flooding toward you.

In my case, I have experienced the least stressful finals week ever. I just don’t feel stress or anxiety the same way. When I sit down for a test I don’t get the heart palpitations or sweaty hands I used to experience. I just landed on my first international flight across the world and I only experienced anxiety for five minutes when I first got dropped off at the airport. That is an incredible feat for me. I almost feel as though I can simply notice something that will stress me out and decide that it’s an emotion I can handle.

After a life of super anxiety, it is nice not to feel stressed out. It’s not a gimmick or a lie. Commit to the practice and see how you feel!