Why Do I Hate Meditation So Much?

Do you dislike meditation? Starting meditation can be overwhelming, there are so many types of meditations to do we often ask ourselves which one is best for us. 

But with such diversity of choice, even when you think you choose a meditation that resonates with you, you may still dislike the practice in itself. 

But why is that? There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer as to why you could be disliking the practice of meditation. But I’m gonna give some of the common reasons that make sense as to why you may not enjoy the idea of meditation. 

Although meditation is something that can benefit everyone and anyone, not everyone will stick through the time it takes to see changes. And that’s okay. 

After all, we’ve conditioned our minds for short-term gratification and don’t worry so much about long-term gratification. 

Ironically, this type of thinking when reversed is beneficial when it comes to meditation, the keyword here is reversed: because if we instead flipped the switch and instead focused on long-term gratification but learned to enjoy the present moment, the practice of meditation and the benefit it brings would be easier to attain and far more evident. 

Boredom

Many will find meditation boring, and it’s no surprise. It takes a certain amount of discipline and focuses to get to a point where you feel the enjoyment of meditation. 

And it will especially be true if you’re used to things constantly moving. But a common pattern of thinking is seeing meditation as boring and a waste of time, and therefore, not worth pursuing. 

But aside from the known benefits of meditation, such as improved focus, there’s one that’s obvious and that’s the ability to sit through. 

Our internal reward system isn’t always at their peak when we meditate, because what the ego cares about is feeling good. Regardless of how it makes us feel. Boredom is a common feeling we tend to want to stay away from. 

Associating meditation with boredom can easily make someone have a dislike for the practice, even if it’s good for you. It’s a bit like wanting to eat junk food because it “tastes good” rather than eating real food. 

Partly because the internal reward system is so strong that the idea of feeling good in the moment becomes attractive. 

But meditation allows us to take a step back from that, and no longer be as much of a slave of our feeling as what we actually want to do. Just because doing a certain thing can have a negative impact, doesn’t always dissuade you from doing it. 

Meditation is about the synchronization of body and mind, and when sticking through, a potent push-back against doing things that you don’t really want to do, but just do because they’ll make you feel good in the now. 

In that sense, meditation can push us more into a direction where we value the long-term benefit over the short-term benefit. As it actually should be. 

Does Meditation Stop Being “Boring”?

After a certain time of sticking with meditation for the long term, you could actually rewire your mind to see meditation as an enjoyable practice. Especially with the peace, it can bring you. There’s something special about having the freedom to let go of worries and disconnect. 

After a certain point of meditating, you’ll reach a point where you’ve gotten your mind acquainted with meditation and therefore, your mind stops associating meditation with something boring. 

It’s no secret that the more appealing we make something, the more likely we are to do such a thing, and meditation, it’s no exception. It helps to set up a comfy environment for meditation, perhaps adding some sound or sitting in a certain place or position. In the end, you need to find what works best for you. 

There’s a reason many of the successful long-term meditators today are able to meditate for so long. They started out meditating for a short time, till their mind got so used to meditation that they started to associate meditation with a blissful activity. And such individuals go from meditating for 20 to 30 minutes to a range of 40 minutes to even hours in some cases.

Wanting It Now

You’ve heard about all the benefits meditation can give you. But are you willing to stick through, even if it means enduring or at least, being prepared to endure some discomfort and potentially boredom at the beginning? It’s a bit like working out. 

Before we start, our mind makes up a bunch of excuses not to do it, but it’s when we actually do it that things actually start to happen. 

Not so much being driven by motivation, but rather a discipline. Discipline is undoubtedly more reliable than being motivated to do something. Discipline creates consistency. 

You’re not gonna experience the benefits of meditation from one day to another. Just like you’re not gonna become a judo master from one day to another. 

But it’s when we actually start, even if it’s small steps that lead to bigger steps. 

It helps to set reasonable expectations and the notion of being a small percentage better each day is what ends up adding up. I’m not comparing the toughness meditation could have to physical training, but there’s a psychological aspect to it. 

But how does this relate to disliking meditation? If you wanted things to happen immediately, but you didn’t see any tangible progress in the short term, you may start disliking the practice. 

In these cases, it does help to come into meditation with low expectations, or none at all, only to be pleasantly surprised after sticking through for a few months. It’s hard to give an exact time estimate as to when meditation could have an effect on you, given how different everyone is. But most already experience changes within a matter of months. 

You’ve Been Taught a Meditation That Isn’t For You

Perhaps you’ve been taught that meditation has to be done a certain way, and because of that, you associate the practice with something painful. 

Don’t let anyone tell you that XYZ meditation is the only right meditation. There are so many meditation flavors to choose from. 

Should you do zen meditation? Mindfulness perhaps? Under a waterfall? Feel free to try them all. 

Believe it or not, the end goal is usually gonna be the same, even if there is a meditation that has a particular objective in mind. I mention this since this was me in 2014. 

I used to despise a certain meditation while completely enjoying another, completely different, with different soundtracks. 

So long as you’re present and your mind is synchronized with your body, you have an inner sense of peace, there’s no reason to change what you’re doing if you feel that that’s for you. The bottom line? Meditation is not hard, but it requires discipline and consistency. 

The result is a lifestyle full of peace as well as an improved quality of life. Things that used to worry you before will seem like small, non-trivial things (for the most part).  

Because while it’s obvious that meditation isn’t a solution to every problem, it’s a great assistant in our lives, and in some cases, the solution to the problem in question. These benefits can be achieved through guided as well as unguided meditation. 

If you currently dislike meditation, but still push through and continue with the practice, you’re gonna train your mind to follow that direction as well. In the end, it can turn into the enjoyable version of brushing your teeth. 

I’ve never heard anyone that said they’d enjoyed brushing their teeth but I’ve heard plenty when it comes to people enjoying meditation, myself included.