“I spend an insane amount of time wondering if I’m doing it right. At some point I just remind myself that I’m doing my best. That is enough.” ~Myleik Teele
A few years ago I was a walking panic attack in a business-casual suit. I’d been working as a copywriter for a national news agency — a job that, in theory, sounded glamorous and full of intellectual rigor. In reality, I felt more like being strapped to a treadmill set permanently to “sprint.”
Stress was my baseline, my emotional default setting. I lived on caffeine, my relatives forgot my name and couldn’t find out how I was doing without a psychic reading online, and my sleep schedule was a nightmare. Looking back from my more stable and mindful present, it’s hard for me to imagine how I coped with so much work and constant stress.
Actually, I didn’t cope with it. I had a stress-induced meltdown. Every return from work started with me cuddling my dog in the bathroom and sobbing. It seemed bad, didn’t it? Well, it got worse. Soon, I couldn’t hold back the uncontrollable tears, and they began to spill over in the taxi, in the office bathroom, and eventually even at my desk.
That’s when I knew something had to change.
However, this knowledge didn’t mean I immediately took action. No, of course not. Maybe I’m okay? Maybe I just need to be more focused and get up an hour earlier to make it to work on time? There were many “maybes,” but none of them saved me from the little disaster that soon happened.
Did I say “little”? It didn’t seem that way to me at the time, because breaking down in tears in front of three colleagues, a client, and my boss during a presentation was the end of the world at that moment. The meeting ended abruptly with a stare from my editor that said, “We’ll talk later,” which everyone knows means, “Pack your desk.”
That night, slumped on my sofa with a mint tea and a bruised ego, I Googled the best—and quickest—ways to cope with stress. I found an article written by one of the advisors on a meditation website whose title I don’t remember, but its message was clear: ‘Meditation: It’s Not Just for Monks Anymore.’
I scoffed. Then I read it.
By the end of the first paragraph, I was less scoff-y and more thoughtful. By the end of the second, I was downloading a meditation app that promised peace in five minutes a day. “I have five minutes,” I thought. “Probably.”
My first meditation session was anything but peaceful. Don’t get me wrong: before that, my only experience with spiritual development was downloading Nebula on my phone to order a psychic reading and check if I and a guy whose name I’ve since forgotten were compatible (spoiler: we weren’t; I’m a Taurus sun sign and he had a girlfriend) and trying a sadhu board which I managed to stay on for only four and a half seconds.
The soothing voice told me to focus on my breath. “Am I doing this right? Did I leave the stove on? Is that a dog barking?” My thoughts were like a chaotic group chat. But the app’s calm voice insisted I bring my attention back to my breath.
After a week of clumsy attempts, something shifted. During a tough workday, I felt the familiar grip of anxiety tightening around my chest. Unexpectedly, I knew what to do. I closed my laptop, sat at my desk, and took five deep breaths. It wasn’t groundbreaking, but it was enough to keep the meltdown at bay.
Then, I began to notice small changes. My jaw was unclenched. My head no longer hummed with the threat of impending tears. I still had a million tasks to do, but they didn’t feel like they were swallowing me whole.
As I dug deeper into meditation, I learned there are actual scientific studies of meditation. Regular meditation reduces cortisol and increases gray matter in parts of the brain associated with self-awareness. Some meditation forms even help to ward off age-related memory loss.
For me, it became a way to realize that failure at work is not the end of the world. Before meditation, I was a champion catastrophizer. A delayed email response? They must hate me. A typo in the headline? My career is over.
Meditation taught me to pause and breathe. Now, I recognize my anxious thoughts as just thoughts — not reality.
I integrated meditation into my workday. Before a stressful meeting, I’d take two minutes to focus on my breath. When I felt overwhelmed, I’d do a quick body scan meditation to ground myself.
One day, my editor handed me a last-minute assignment that would’ve sent pre-meditation me into a tailspin. Instead, I excused myself to the bathroom, took ten slow breaths, and returned to my desk with a sense of calm that shocked even me. I nailed the assignment and didn’t even break a sweat. Okay, maybe a little sweat but no tears, which was progress.
I started sleeping through the night instead of waking up at 3 a.m. to mentally rewrite headlines. My relationships improved because I stopped worrying about every missed call. Even my coffee consumption decreased.
I also found that meditation gave me clarity about what I wanted. Eventually, that clarity led me to leave my job at the news agency and pursue a more fulfilling path. But even if you’re not looking to change careers, meditation can help you show up as your best self in the job you have.
My Tips for Beginners
If you’re skeptical about meditation, I get it. I was too. But if you still want to give it a try, take into account the conclusions about meditation that I have drawn along my journey.
Start Small, Like Really Small
Despite what your YouTube guru may say, you don’t need to meditate for long the first few times. Start with one minute. That’s it. Sixty seconds of sitting still.
Make It Part of Something You Already Do
Osho once remarked that you can meditate absolutely anywhere, although it is most pleasant in a limousine. In fact, you don’t need a specific time or a specific room for meditation. You don’t need candles, essential oils, or music. You don’t need anything but yourself.
Try sneaking meditation into your everyday activities. Waiting for your coffee to brew? Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Stuck in traffic? (Not driving, obviously.) Focus on your breath instead of the existential dread that is morning commutes.
Try the “5-4-3-2-1” Technique
This one’s for those days when your brain refuses to sit still. Name five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
Why? This magical technique forces you to be present.
Laugh It Off
As a person who has learned to laugh again, I responsibly declare that laughter heals. If you feel awkward, laugh.
Meditation doesn’t always have to be serious. Humor is meditation adjacent—it’s grounding and brings you to the present moment.
Conclusion
Years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the peace I feel now. Meditation didn’t solve all my problems—it’s not magic—but it gave me the tools to handle stress with grace instead of panic.
So, if you’re drowning in deadlines and living on caffeine fumes, take a deep breath. Download a meditation app. Give yourself one minute.
And who knows? Maybe one day you’ll look back, like I did, and realize that meditation didn’t just make your workdays bearable—it made your life better.
