We have all been there.
You ever start to lose your cool or be super angry, some one tells you to relax and you’re just like “um… f*** you?” Yeah. Me too. The last thing you wanna hear when you’re about to go off is “just breathe.” Have you ever tried meditating when you’re in this kind of state? It may feel impossible to not want to crawl out of your own skin when you’re on edge and observing your breath and body sensations on top of that. It will make it feel even more real and amplified. Why would you want that?
Use your best judgement for yourself.
Let’s say you are making tea and about to go sit for your daily meditation and your partner starts something with you. Could be anything. Maybe they left two dishes in the sink right after the night before you had both agreed NOT to do that. So you go sit in you’re usual meditation spot and all you can think about is “how dare they” “I can’t believe they would” “they obviously don’t care” etc. The feelings become more amplified. So that raises the question, is it even a good idea to meditate when you are angry, upset or overwhelmed? The answer varies from person to person. If you know the right type of meditation to use, perhaps a guided meditation specifically for calming down or if you love vipassana style meditation and you chose to let those feelings be so they can come to pass. If you are willing to endure those feelings, then I say you know what is best for you. If you have never tried meditating in your life and the first time you try is when you are enraged, I am not sure how that will go for you ( lol ) but hey, anything is possible and I believe in miracles. Maybe you are the type of person who needs to physically move instead of be still. If that is the case then by all means, go for a walk and listen to something calming.
Meditating can definitely help!
So yes, depending on the situation and what kind of feelings you are overwhelmed with, sitting down to meditate can definitely help. It all depends on the how, why and when. If you have been overwhelmed by life in general over a period of time, then it is definitely time to sit down and meditate with that discomfort on a regular basis and let it take it’s course instead of letting it escalate by ignoring it or pushing it down to escape from it. If it is a sudden instance that just happened, like the dishes in the sink, ask yourself the question of what you need in that moment to NOT lose it on your partner and find a way to decompress at least a little bit so you can approach the situation with a more level head. A much better choice than letting the situation spiral before it becomes out of control. That is a huge part of the reason to have a daily meditation anyways, so we can learn that most things aren’t as catastrophic as we tend to make them out to be. Through daily meditation, we learn to not make mountains out of molehills.
Every emotion needs space to be felt.
However, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t allowed to feel real emotions. One time, I sent out the message to quit my job, turned my phone off and immediately sat down and meditated. I sat as long as I had to until I felt at least a little more calm and comfortable. When I opened my eyes, it’s not like the situation didn’t exist anymore. I reminded myself to be in touch with reality. Instead of spiraling into thoughts of ” I have no solid plan, what if I don’t find another job, did I just make a huge mistake, I’m going to be broke now, people are going to shun me” I actively chose thoughts such as “this is my choice, I will find work again, everything works out for me as I have made it before, I have savings to fall back on if I really need, people love me regardless of my job status, there is no need to judge myself harshly.”
Meditation is so versatile.
The beauty of meditation is witnessing how you feel or what you are going through and letting it be seen and acknowledged. The good, bad, ugly and very uncomfortable. When we do this, it helps it run it’s course. You watch it so it can be conquered, not so it can conquer you. When we use escapism or negative ways to cope, that is when it takes over us. So next time you are overwhelmed, work to take that short little moment of opportunity to ask yourself, what do I need RIGHT now to NOT go off the deep end. Walk away to find a pillow to scream in or a pillow to sit on? Some deep breaths or a deep journal prompt? Movement or stillness? The more you check in on yourself on a regular basis, the more you will know.
Breath focus is always a go-to meditation style for me. Give this meditation a try if that interests you.
Let us know in the comments what you do when your overwhelmed and what kind of meditation techniques you like to use to help bring you back to contentment!