Meditative exercises for people that can't meditate
Meditative exercises - that's probably a phrase you've never come across before.
I mean, there's either meditation or there's not - right?
WRONG.
People who can't meditate...
Personally, I absolutely despise meditation. I can do it, but I find it boring and I am a terrible fidgeter, so I never really get the full benefit.
But I love immersing myself in doing stuff. I love putting my full focus into a game of football, getting into a flow state when I'm writing or even just the calm that cooking a meal brings about.
So actually - yes, there are meditative exercises that aren't actually meditation. You just need to look for them.
The biggest hurdle
Your phone is going to be your biggest enemy when starting your meditative journey.
How often do you start doing something, have a quick check on your phone, then catch yourself 30 minutes later scrolling through Instagram?
I've done it countless times and I'm certain you have too.
Taking away your phone's grasp on your attention should be your first step. If you're going out and about then leave it at home. If you're staying in and want to get in the zone, then you may have to take drastic measures. Try locking your phone away for a set amount of time.
At the end of the day, our willpower is much weaker than we think. Taking away the choice is the best option in the long run. It creates much else mental chatter and we will eventually adapt to our circumstance. Try using a kitchen safe to store distracting trinkets in. This is also useful when you're looking to get some flow state built up during work hours too.
I can't seem to find anything cheaper than the 'safe' linked above, but if you do then let me know because these things are weirdly expensive. Probs worth it though...
What is a meditative exercise?
Basically, something that gets you into a flow state.
That's pretty much it.
Meditation quietens the mind and helps you to not get attached to your thoughts, instead, allowing them to drift on by, free of judgement.
This creates a sense of inner calm, which can also be achieved when your mind if focused on just one thing. When you are completely invested in one activity, your mind becomes instantly calm. Just think back to how engrossed in your video games and sketchbooks you were as a kid.
When was the last time you felt that connected to a task? To anything at all?
Meditative exercises tap into this zen state, letting you reap the benefits of meditation without having to be bored and sat completely still whilst doing so.
Meditative exercises to try out
There are bucketloads of meditative exercises to try out that will get your mind zen AF, but these are some of my personal favourites.
Have a read through and try to gauge whether you think you could get involved with some of these.
Walking (on one condition)
You can't take that pesky phone.
When we go out for a walk, we have all the good intentions of getting back to nature, but then we just check the time, then just a few messages, then BAM, you're walking with your head buried in your phone.
No earphones, audiobooks or anything else with you either. Take a little notepad out to jot down any ideas or thoughts you have so you can check them out online later if needs be.
During this time is when I always feel calmest and have some of my best ideas.
Maybe you will too.
Cooking and cleaning
Cooking and cleaning is one of the best ways to get into a flow state.
How good does it feel to whack on some tunes and just start cleaning your room? We all know that feeling of accomplishment you get when you've been rearranging your house for 3 hours. It's addictive.
Hell, Marie Kondo made a career out of it!
But don't forget cooking either. Prepping, cooking and eating are all meditative exercises and if you really take your time, you'll feel a huge sense of joy and calm. Make sure you keep that phone away though and really immerse yourself in it.
Colouring
Adult colouring books are the cats pyjamas.
They are so effective in fact, that they are used in the treatment of PTSD. Remember how good it felt as a kid when you spent hours on that perfect drawing? Or when you had the latest and greatest Star Wars colouring book?
Well thankfully, shops are cottoning on that we adults still love a bit of childlike artistry, so grab yourself a colouring book and get involved.
Sports
This is probably my favourite.
When you're fully engaged in sports, you don't really have time to dwell on anything outside of the game you're in.
There's no time to stress, no time to worry about what you're having for tea tonight - you're just fully immersed in the now. Competing and being in a team are also great for mental wellbeing. Not to mention, winning creates a huge spike in Testosterone - just saying.
The gym is also a form of sport and is widely accepted as a tool for battling depression and anxiety, much like meditation. If you take one thing away from this article, let it be that.
Join a gym.
Having a good old read
Obviously this site is your best starting place for reading the best of the best... but settling down to a great book comes in at a close second.
It is so easy to lose yourself in a great book and it is infinitely more beneficial than sitting and watching Youtube and TV for 5 hours a night.
Whether it be fiction or non-fiction, it really doesn't matter. If you can rediscover your love for the written word, you'll become a far more zen person - that much I can guarantee.
Learn a skill
Instruments in particular are very effective at cultivating a quiet and peaceful state.
When you have to concentrate on learning a new skill, it is all you can think about at the time, because otherwise you're not going to learn anything are you?
Things like learning to draw, paint landscapes, play guitar or even learning something left field like origami would be perfect for entering the meditative state we all crave.
If you want to try out meditation but you've never been able to sit and actually do it, trying out these meditative exercises may well be for you.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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How To Build Your Confidence As A Man - The Four Pillars
We live in a society where anxiety is rising and rising and an alarming rate. This can be attributed to so many different things such as social media, poor diet, sedentary lifestyles, lack of social interaction - the list goes on. This is an epidemic and this is the cure - sort of.
We live in a society where anxiety and lack of confidence is rising and rising at an alarming rate. This can be attributed to so many different things such as social media, poor diet, sedentary lifestyles, lack of social interaction – the list goes on. This blog is going to tell you how to build your confidence as a man.
Some of these things can’t really be helped, most of us have to sit behind a desk for 8 hours a day, we only have access to ready meals and we don’t really get a chance to go out because of other commitments, etc.
With this in mind, I have developed what I believe to be the 4 pillars of building bulletproof confidence that will aid you in your quest to become the best man you possibly can.
The reason I have picked these is that they are easy to implement for literally anyone. Each pillar will take up a tiny part of your day and will almost certainly add to your quality of life if you practice them consistently.
ABUNDANCE - Build Self Confidence As A Man
First off, what is abundance and how can this help you feel more confident? In this instance, I’m talking about the abundance mindset.
In short, this way of thinking is aimed at completely reshaping the way you think about things. It will help you to frame situations in a positive manner and allow you to get out of the victim mentality that so many of us have fallen prey to in modern society.
Abundance will give you the confidence to climb a multitude of large cogs
The easiest way to practice abundance is to write down 3 things that you felt went well during your day before you go to sleep. This makes you focus on what is actually going well in your life and stops you from leaning your cognitive bias toward insignificant negatives of the day.
This is part of the reason I have stopped journaling. Writing down all your stresses is supposed to be a cleansing experience but in reality, it just made me focus on the negatives. Use this little trick to become a much more abundant and confident fella.
MEDITATION
Meditation is one of the best stress relievers there is. Doing some meditation every day will bring your cortisol levels down massively and help you achieve your desired outcome. Decreased cortisol means increased testosterone – which means you’ll be biologically and psychologically more dominant. When you’re feeling so unstressed, it’s hard not to have superior confidence.
Meditation also teaches you to breathe deeply and from the stomach – not the chest, like most of us tend to do. This focus on breath will help you to stay calm in stressful situations that may trigger anxiety, force you to lose your cool or make you retreat into your shell. By becoming aware of your breathing, you become more present – something which others will pick up on subconsciously.
If you perform some meditation before you go to sleep, you will sleep deeper and at a heightened quality than if you were to simply switch the light off and go to sleep the conventional way.
Clearing your head of negative thoughts will help you to achieve more REM sleep and lower cortisol even more. As we know, lowered cortisol is good for testosterone, as is getting great sleep – so you’re effectively killing two very large birds with one stone here.
how to build your confidence as a man - NOFAP
This is something I’ve been kind of reluctant to talk about on the blog because of the nature of the topic but it’s something that I believe is essential if you want to lead a fulfilling life.
This topic is NoFap - and is one of the best ways to master your strengths and weaknesses, build mental health and feel comfortable in relationships.
There are loads of gurus online who promote this in order to make a quick buck from worried guys on the internet – they’ll sell courses on it and special supplements to go along with it when in reality, all you have to do when practising NoFap is not fiddle with your sausage.
I won't go too far into the nitty-gritty of the whole topic but the general gist of it is that we’re a world that’s addicted to porn. This addiction has gotten to a point where guys (even young guys) are sitting at home in front of a screen and beating it for 2 hours a day.
It has started to rewire our brains – our very beliefs when it comes to respecting the opposite sex, our expectations of the real world and our actual ability to handle ourselves in social situations.
To sum it up, porn has created a generation of fellas who are so devoid of confidence, they’d rather date a robot than talk to real-life people.
A visual representation of my NoFap induced relaxation
Others (including myself) who have taken back their self-control have experienced confidence related benefits such as:
Increased energy
Deeper sleep
Reduced brain fog
A complete psychological ‘reset’
This is something I am quite passionate about but there are others who have an infinitely better grasp on the subject so if you’d like to read more, here’s a few resources:
There are also some sources which cite NoFaps benefit to increasing testosterone (good for body building) and can develop guys into more confident men.
COLD SHOWERS
These are my absolute favourite thing to do, especially if I’m feeling a bit unmotivated and introverted. Set your shower to a mild setting, get in and then slowly turn the dial down until it’s as cold as it’ll (or you can) go. This will build confidence like no other. Being able to face an ice cold shower every morning and night will help you to build balls of steel.
It’s these little victories that will help you to develop the sort of inner confidence that others can only dream of. All you have to do is face up to a little bit of adversity each and every day. Getting out of that comfort zone that so many of us are afraid to leave will be the best thing you’ll ever do.
The benefits to cold showers are varied and I have written about all of them in more depth here if you fancy having a little gander.
So, to recap and answer how to build your confidence as a man:
– Write down 3 things that went well that day each night.
– Meditate twice a day.
– Practice nofap and get a handle on your self-discipline.
– Take a cold shower every morning and night.
You now have your 4 pillars – your confidence foundations if you will.
Use this information as you please, but if you can implement at least one each week then you’ll be on your way to becoming that charming swine you were always destined to be. This isn't a quick fix or short confidence boost, it's a proven way for increasing your self confidence, to become a confident person and improve your body language.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant.
Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.