Creating Your Own Meditation

Like many discoveries, mine started with failure. I was searching for a meditation to ease my anxiety. I tried countless ones—some irritated me, while others simply didn’t work. But I knew I needed to listen to something calming. I felt that if I could hear the right words, I would believe them.

The question was: What exactly are those words?

To find out, I needed to be specific. I took a piece of paper and wrote down around ten sentences that captured exactly what I needed to hear. Then, I opened the voice recording app on my phone and read them out loud.

The final step? Listening. I played the recording on repeat while doing housework, not being in special meditation posture. And it worked. It was the perfect meditation for that moment.

How Does It Work?

If I already know the answers, why do I need to listen to them? And why does anxiety still control me if I’m capable of handling it?

Anxiety thrives on a restless, overthinking mind. The mind believes it must solve everything alone. But it needs help.

If you’ve ever practiced slow, mindful breathing for 15 minutes, you know how dramatically it can shift your mental state. Writing and recording your own meditation follows a similar process. If we break it into stages, it looks like this:

• Stage 1: I am a person in need of help.
• Stage 2: I am a person thinking about solutions.
• Stage 3: I am a person providing answers to my anxious mind.
• Stage 4: I am a person offering help.

When I listen to my recording, I become the calm and reassuring voice that my anxious mind needs. The cycle is broken. Now, I am in control.

How to Find the Right Words for Your Meditation

• Option 1: You already know what you need to hear. Just sit down and write it out.
• Option 2: You don’t know what you need to hear. Then write anyway! 😊

Start by writing down all your worries, every single one. Then read your words as if they were a letter from your best friend in distress. Now, be the friend you wish you had. Offer warmth, reassurance, and solutions. Sometimes, action is needed; other times, a few kind words can be enough.

Final Thoughts

My experience isn’t a common, proven method, but if it resonates with you, I’d love to help. Or at least remind you not to give up. You have more power over your mind than you think.