If you’re anything like me, you’re probably overthinking it.

Meditation is simple. Not easy, but simple.

• What? Practice calming the mind, or focusing attention on a single object like the breath. Alternatively, widen the attention to take in our entire environment without thought or judgement.
• Where? Somewhere quiet, with minimal distractions. Home. Natural settings.
  • If you cannot find somewhere quiet, simply listen to your noisy environment with a curious attitude.
• When am I done? Use a timer. Hit start, then forget. No peeking, no wondering.
• How long? 5-10 minutes a day. Be realistic. 1 minute counts.
• How often? The more often, the easier and more beneficial it gets.
• How? Sit in a way that allows you to be still, comfortable, alert. Knees below pelvis. Spine tall. Edge of chair or cushion. Hands gently relaxed. Often times I’ll also lie down. If you fall asleep, fine, but realize that it just means you should schedule more time to sleep in addition to the time you want to meditate.
• Clothing? Anything comfortable. I like my fleece pants.
• Eyes? Closed or half open. Soft gaze. Whatever feels natural. Up to you.
• Movement? Stillness is key. Absorbed, settled. Stillness promotes calm signals.
• Pain, itchy, twitchy? Some areas may hurt after a while, or itch, or get stiff. Allow gentle movement. Investigate the discomfort. Tease actual pain from resistance to the current situation.
• Music? Not ideal. Attention is split. Everyone is different though, if it aids then use it. It can also be the focus of a meditation.
• Incense, candles? Creating a ritual around your meditation practice can help the mind settle in. Personally I don’t, but explore what might work for you.

For more, check out Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris, where I originally got the core ideas of this list. I’ll add and iterate on this over the years.

Also many books by Rich Hanson, two favorites are Resilient and Hardwiring Happiness. You can learn to learn, and learn to create lasting well-being.