#Fabletics21 Meditation - Week 1

   I've just completed my first week of the #Fabletics21 21-day meditation challenge. I've worked from 3 minutes on day 1 to 5 minutes today, and I have to admit that it's been a bit difficult just to find the time. I exercise most mornings so nothing can get in my way, but I don't want meditation to fall into that category, I want it to be something I do consciously rather than because I feel I have to - though, admittedly, the challenge itself does somewhat force upon me the need to do it.

   I've not found a drastic improvement in my moods, but to be honest, I didn't expect to after just 7 days. The point of the challenge is to make something a habit rather than see immediate rewards. But, having said that, I was calmer after every session.

   With certain announcements made by the Prime Minister today, I've been feeling a bit more stressed than usual, and so rather than 5 minutes I did 10, and it did help to calm my mind and give me a more distanced and subsequently less biased perspective of the situation, and for that I was very grateful. I think meditation will come in as an unfortunate necessity over the next month, but I'm glad I have that outlet.

   I've also been tense the previous few days due to events in my book, and, of course, while I knew these were fictional events with fictional characters, it can be very difficult to distance yourself from them, but meditation reminded me that I'm being damned silly by getting upset about things like this. And no, I won't tell you what's happened, because loosing spoilers is a guaranteed ticket to hell.

   It's been difficult to find the time and remember to do it, as I've said, but I've also found further difficulty with the advised length of time. The first week, as mentioned, is 3-5 minutes a day, but I've found it takes me about that long to actually sink into the calm the meditation is supposed to ooze, so I feel like I've lost out from that a little bit. I have, when needed, extended the duration, but I've not wanted to race ahead of the calendar, otherwise I'll feel like I have to do 10+ minutes every day. It's true, while I'm doing it, that I'd be happy to stay that was for 10 minutes and longer, but the thought of sitting doing nothing for that long can be off-putting when I'm already stressed out - right when I need to do it, I suppose. I'm fighting against the daily personal need to keep running full-steam ahead. It is hard. But I am doing it.