this post was submitted on 13 May 2025
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Have you ever tried meditation? Great for waiting.
I did regular meditation for a year and a half or so (now more intermittent) but never mastered the kind you can do with your eyes open. I do enjoy a walking meditation though.
A really good suggestion (which won't have the desired result for everyone).
Personally, I find meditating makes my anxiety really bad. Like almost immediately. I wish I was joking, but I'm not, I've tried all kinds, guided, monaural, free-form...sitting with my thoughts is just really bad for my mental health, oddly.
Every therapist and GP I've mentioned this to has laughed and said, "yeah, that's one thing they don't tell you, meditation and self-care aren't synonymous for everyone. For some it will make things much worse, especially if you try to force it. If that's the case, don't do it any more."
For me, trying to combat the negative self-talk and bad thought patterns is so much more helpful than sitting down and forcing myself to be still when that's the last thing my body and mind want to do.
I've kind of grown up with it. I recommend anyone try three minutes at the same time AM/PM, normally 7:00 / 19:00. It's only six minutes a day. Use a timer and spend a few seconds making sure it's started or you'll spend the session wondering if it's actually going. Because it's such a short time, it give people a chance to see how it works for them. Like you say, there's no universal solutions. What works for one might be harmful to another. Like marathon running is great for fitness but will do harm to one not prepared for it.
I've tried off and on, myriad types and duration for over a decade, not just for my ADHD, but because I'm a seriously anxious person with some complex-af PTSD. But also because doctors kept harping on me for not "doing enough mindfulness".
I tried a minute a day for several months after three was too much, but only made it through 30 days before I had to stop even that.
This is especially true for people with PTSD/cPTSD/depression/AuADHD, but if meditation makes your mental health worse, don't keep doing it. Seriously. Talk to someone about it.
For me, it makes everything worse. I feel like this is something people should know to watch out for, especially in the modern times of "mindfulness" being tossed around like it's a positive for everyone. It isn't. Some of us spend way too much time ruminating as it is, and need to spend more time working on how we think rather than how much.
I've just finished "The Body Keeps the Score" which gave me some interesting insights into cPTSD. It did mention mindfluness but also covered a bunch of other options to approach treatment. Good luck and best wishes for your future health.