Hi friends. Guess what. My mind is absolutely crammed today. I have a ton of meditation lessons to schedule, I’m working on a revised version of my book, and my personal life is hectic. I have a to-do list that’s as long as my arm and it’s making my mind race.
It times like this, when you’re crazy busy and when your mind is racing, that it can seem impossible to meditate, partly because you don’t have the time, and partly because your hectic mind makes it harder to focus. But it’s also times like this when meditation is absolutely essential, because if you don’t clear your mind enough to focus then you won’t be productive. Because remember, a focused mind is a productive mind.
Ay karumba! What a dilemma! Thankfully, I’ve learned how to meditate when busy in a way that will calm your mind and make you productive without costing you too much time.
How To Meditate When You’re Too Busy
Most people decide to go one of two ways with this: They either decide that they’re too busy to meditate at all, or, they force themselves to do a full meditation session even though they don’t want to. Neither strategy is ideal. If you don’t take a break (whether to meditate or relax in another way) your mind will continue to run like a hamster on a wheel. But if you force yourself to do a full meditation session you’ll probably just be agitated during it and you won’t go deep enough to actually calm your mind.
So what’s the solution?
I like to make a deal with myself. I tell myself that I will meditate for just five to ten minutes if I focus 100% while I’m doing it. This is usually enough meditation to calm my mind and to focus. Then, after my short meditation session I’ll choose one single thing to do and do it mindfully. That way, the activity I do mindfully actually works as a continuation of my meditation practice.
Example. Say for instance you’ve got to do a ton of housework but you’re struggling to focus and get down to doing it. Fine. Go meditate for five minutes to focus your mind. Then go do the dishes but do them mindfully. This is similar to what Buddhists call Soji. And yes, mindful cleaning counts as meditation. Indeed, the Buddhist monk Suddhipanthaka was said to have achieved full enlightenment while sweeping
A Quick Meditation When You’re Busy
Meditation at 6 mins into video
It doesn’t stop there though. Because what I’ve noticed is that on busy days my mind will continually be flooded by thoughts unless I make a conscious choice to stay in control. Because of that, I will routinely go back to mindful breathing between my activities.
So it works like this:
- Notice my mind is overrun with thoughts. Make the conscious choice to meditate to clear my mind.
- Meditate for five to ten minutes
- Choose one single thing to do. Do it mindfully
- Meditate for one minute
- Choose the next thing to do. Do it mindfully.
- Meditate for one minute.
- Repeat as above. This might sound like a lot to do on a busy day, but I promise you that if you take those quick breaks between tasks you will be much more productive.
Summary
By taking five minutes to meditate on busy days, and then doing tasks mindfully, you will be both focused and productive, and you’ll power through your to-do list.