Burn Out

[Tenacity]

Have you ever been burnt out before? How did you make things better while dealing with work?

Spoiler

I've come to terms with the fact that I'm terribly burnt out.

I've worked long hours (50 - 70+ hrs/wk) for most of my life. Don't do this to yourself.

Started working at a pretty young age.

Here are ways I'm dealing with it:
Not, because burnout is inescapable for me.

(There is no drug or therapist for burnout.)

 

[EndogenousRebel]

I would suggest you treat yourself with anything that'll help and recharge you. Maximize the time you have? Have you tried a sensory deprivation chamber? I haven't but I really want to try it.

I burned out so hard it landed me into an instatution, and has really left a scar on me. I still haven't recovered fully and have been deathly avoidant of being stressed out at all. But I have to get back on the horse. Medication definitely does help for me.

The plasticity of brains makes me believe that we can be conditioned to work long hours, in an incremental fashion, and probably with intrinsic motivation. Like muscles. Though you shouldn't excersice it daily and need to give it time to rest and recover. Also need to feed it the right nutrients. Maybe a diet change? I'm sure the change would be subtle, but optimizing for it could be beneficial.

 

[Ex-User (14663)]

I think burnout has more to do with stress for prolonged periods of time rather than plain work volume. I don't really believe in vacation, "taking breaks", stuff like that, and haven't taken one since I got my first job 4 years ago. This summer though, I was in a situation which was a bit new and contained some stress that I never had to deal with before, so then of course I felt "burnt out" and started thinking about vacation and stuff after a short while. It was the sort of stress where I couldn't sleep, eat, that whole package. But then I went zen style and now everything is back to normal and I feel fully energized.

 

[Rebis]

If I have a burnout I pretty much know what to do: Relax, read/watch whatever I want and don't talk to people. Having said that I do have a high tolerance for stress. The burnout I faced was during exam season in may there: My manager kept giving me more shifts (I asked for 10 and got 30) even though I had requested for days off to finish my finals. That was mainly due to her not respecting my perspective and thinking I'm going to pick up the slack because she wanted to give other people less hours.

Handed in my resignation the next day, just worked the weekend and then bounced out.

Generally I can manage myself a lot better than others so if I have to forfeit that control to others that's effectively a burnout for me. I prefer to reach a level of competency and integrity where I can manage myself.

 

[Tenacity]

sensory deprivation chamber

Have heard of this, looked into it, there are places to go for this that are somewhat popularized, will probably try and check it out IRL one day. Though for now having good noise cancellation headphones can have a less potent but similar effect.

The plasticity of brains makes me believe that we can be conditioned to work long hours, in an incremental fashion, and probably with intrinsic motivation. Like muscles. Though you shouldn't excersice it daily and need to give it time to rest and recover. Also need to feed it the right nutrients. Maybe a diet change? I'm sure the change would be subtle, but optimizing for it could be beneficial.

I've done nearly everything I can think of which is intrinsically motivational, so far I'm going through different things until I find what works best. It might seem odd but I don't like indulgence, so I have super limited options. I've weighed net effects of certain behaviors over the course of my life and some things just don't work out, so to fall back into the same patterns of behavior would be somewhat ineffective for me.

On optimizing diet: I've changed my diet to keto (have been on it for months now) which has enabled my brain to be pretty much more laser focused than I've ever been. Basically mostly "healthy fats", a little protein, few carbs. People laugh at it, that's fine, I really don't recommend it for most people, it is difficult and challenging. I just know that personally being addicted to carbs messed me up. Sugar and refined carbohydrates have the same effect on the brain as cocaine. You can see that as a good thing or bad thing but mostly after years of exposure to it, it has the chance of unfortunately eroding the body in various ways. So yeah, I probably over-plan for longevity.

I still haven't recovered fully and have been deathly avoidant of being stressed out at all. But I have to get back on the horse.

If I can ask, what stresses you out?

I'm stressed about everything. Lol. I know I shouldn't be. I've always been that way and I don't know how not to be stressed. I think it is a human thing to be stressed, after all, but some people are more stressed than others.

I think burnout has more to do with stress for prolonged periods of time rather than plain work volume. I don't really believe in vacation, "taking breaks", stuff like that, and haven't taken one since I got my first job 4 years ago. This summer though, I was in a situation which was a bit new and contained some stress that I never had to deal with before, so then of course I felt "burnt out" and started thinking about vacation and stuff after a short while. It was the sort of stress where I couldn't sleep, eat, that whole package. But then I went zen style and now everything is back to normal and I feel fully energized.

True. I too don't believe in vacation. A few times I took a few weeks off to travel, but still worked during this timeframe. I've made a promise to myself to not work the next time, but it's really more of a matter of me learning compartmentalize how I use my mind.

Going to level up on my zen-ness for sure.

If I have a burnout I pretty much know what to do: Relax, read/watch whatever I want and don't talk to people. Having said that I do have a high tolerance for stress. The burnout I faced was during exam season in may there: My manager kept giving me more shifts (I asked for 10 and got 30) even though I had requested for days off to finish my finals. That was mainly due to her not respecting my perspective and thinking I'm going to pick up the slack because she wanted to give other people less hours.

Handed in my resignation the next day, just worked the weekend and then bounced out.

Wow wtf. What a whack action for your former manager to take. Absurdly inconsiderate. Glad you were assertive about that. In the US if someone puts you on 30 hours as a part time retail worker, it means as the manager was trying to reduce your ability to receive benefits which you would qualify for at 40 hours as a FT worker, which angers me, but I've also been in a similar position as you, only I took work capacity of 25 - 30 hours / week while juggling school and leadership / extracurriculars. Not uncommon in the schools I grew up in.

Spoiler

Kind of a tangent but: I believe the new norm of the workplace globally needs to be more adapted to remote work culture. This would solve the problem of introverts getting burnt out because we are being judged on how we act socially instead of the merit of the internal minds' capability.

Generally I can manage myself a lot better than others so if I have to forfeit that control to others that's effectively a burnout for me. I prefer to reach a level of competency and integrity where I can manage myself.

Mostly the same for me.

 

[scorpiomover]

Have you ever been burnt out before?

Yes. MAJOR burnout.

How did you make things better while dealing with work?

Didn't. Had to stop. Then when I did go back to work, I had to choose an understanding boss and put my food down about my needs and the way I was treated. Also, I had to redevelop myself: eat better, relax, do Yoga, whatever will improve my mental, physical and emotional health.

Long-term, it's worked out much better for my employer, because he gets much more productivity out of me.

Surprisingly, I've noticed that when my needs are met, I handle loads of physical stress, loads of mental stress, and even handled situations with perfect calm that terrified other people. But when my needs are not met, my body and brain's resources and buffers drain for a while until there's not much left, and then the stress starts to impact on my productivity.

 

[Polaris]

I nearly had burnout this year, for the first time. I was in a job where my skills were basically ignored and I got so bored and frustrated I started feeling suicidal just at the thought of going to that job, so I quit. Now that I can focus on my other job where I'm more mentally stimulated I can feel all my energy coming back, so I really believe energy - at least for me - is related to having sufficient mental stimulation. If I had taken a break while I was still in this other job instead of just dropping it, I think I would have hit a very dangerous point of despair. This probably sounds a bit crazy to some of you, but my mood/general well being is very much dependent on not becoming too mired in mindless routine.

When I think about why, it could be that I have a stronger than average need to feel useful for my skills and expertise. Recognition without the praise. I know this because my manager kept praising me for really stupid little things that basically required zero effort, and all I could feel was anger and contempt for this patronising attitude. While this method perhaps works for many people, he obviously understood nothing about me, or how my mind works. I don't need praise, I need to feel useful. Not that I ever expect people to understand "me", but if I were a manager, I would at least try to find out what strengths my employees had (starting by reading their resume properly and communicating better with them), and whether we could work together in utilising these somehow to make them feel more empowered and therefore more fulfilled.

But perhaps I live in a mental Utopia in terms of my expectations.

 

[EndogenousRebel]

I still haven't recovered fully and have been deathly avoidant of being stressed out at all. But I have to get back on the horse.

If I can ask, what stresses you out?

I'm stressed about everything. Lol. I know I shouldn't be. I've always been that way and I don't know how not to be stressed. I think it is a human thing to be stressed, after all, but some people are more stressed than others.

Entropy stresses me out.

If I had to put it in a couple words it would probably be problems that I can't or don't know how to solve. I'm not a total dumb ass, but I'm also not too smart. Sharp I guess is what I really am? Point is this leaves me plenty of problems that I am very well aware of and am incapable of solving.

A familial squabbles for example. Anytime any peoples close to me get in some sort of argument, I usually act as a mediator, because I don't like people close to me fighting, especially if it's for a stupid reason. The only time these arguments should happen is when someone actually crosses a line, and if they did, oh my god does that make things way worse. Call me a shitty mediator, but humans are complex and humans interacting with other humans is thrice as complicated to the power of n. I don't know how to read minds, how do I defuse this situation? There are so many possibilities for what may be the case, and I want to do the situation justice for both(all) sides.

Another example would be me sitting down and writing an essay, and boom writers block. I'm just starting at an unfinished essay and can't think of anything to write. How do I solve this problem? Write more? That is the problem. My brain is saturated with info I already wrote and I've bullshited my way to 700 words and still need 300 more words! The solution is to write more, but only if it were that easy. Now I'm stressing about my stressing and stressing out about.

I'm not even going to get started about my condition. It's like the ultimate unsolvable problem. Like I'm defective in some way. These days though I'm optimistic and try to take everything as a learning experience, but you know the harder the problem the more stress. It's constructive, but you know, it's stress... Entropy.

 

[Black Rose]

The majority of my adult life has been burnout. Since 2007 I have shut down several times. I have little motivation, low energy, complete sleepiness, and tiredness.

Tiredness along with anxiety is the worst.
I get tired not doing anything and I don't do anything because of anxiety.
I am simply unbalanced. I feel bad doing nothing and I can't do anything because anxiety causes more anxiety.

I feel better after relaxation technics. But I am not getting to the root. I should try to get to the core. The part that makes me want to stop and do nothing. Where the energy is draining off to. Try and plug the hole, zap the energy into myself instead of leaking it out.

 

[Grayman]

Identify limitations. Set limitations. Follow through with those limitations.

Also, as an introvert, it is important to find and schedule time for yourself. Treat yourself at least as well as your friends. You wouldnt be flaky by continuing to reschedule and not show up when you have something set for your friends or work. The same applies to yourself.

If you don't take care of yourself, you won't be good to anyone. For this reason, selflessness, duty to others, and altruism are no excuse.

 

[EndogenousRebel]

I feel better after relaxation technics. But I am not getting to the root. I should try to get to the core. The part that makes me want to stop and do nothing. Where the energy is draining off to. Try and plug the hole, zap the energy into myself instead of leaking it out.

@Animekitty watch this video by Joseph Rodriguez. It has a technique that I found really helpful for getting to the core of things. This guy makes videos about self-improvement books and has a whole vocabulary that might be hard to follow, but it's worth the effort of you ask me. Also he talks about somethings that are rationally unfounded, like "Devine intelligence" or "Christ thinking" or something like that. If you can get past that I can look past that, and judge it by it's effectiveness I'm sure you'll come away from it with something positive.

 

[Black Rose]

@EndogenousRebel

I could only partially understand what he was saying.
I think what he was getting at was entering the subconscious to make outcomes happen by being felt to be real.

My problem is a little different. I am numb to my feelings/emotions. I am trying to enter my subconscious to feel things more and integrate emotion.

As is everything builds up and I cannot handle it. If I could handle everything and not be overwhelmed then burnout would be less of an issue.

 

[EndogenousRebel]

@Animekitty yeah I feared that I'll just tell you myself. Really what he says that you should:

1) Pick a "wish" that you wish you was true. (Example, I wish that I was emotionally stable.)

2) Focus and imagine what it would feel like if that wish was fulfilled. Like, your entire mental state and everything. It's important to maintain this, to the point where you have blind faith in it being true.

3) Pay attention to all of your senses including thoughts.

4) Whatever rises to the top of your mind that relates to your wish, but isn't "aligned" with it, is "programming" (Example, while I'm focusing on the end result of the wish, I begin to see myself as someone who is just screwy and could never be emotionally stable, or maybe I notice that I suppress my emotions in general. These are essentially fears, doubts and assumptions)

5) "reprogram" these assumption or beliefs. Basically, you try to understand it and rationalize it, deconstructing the assumption or belief. (Example, I think everyone is capable of improvement, and it's okay to have emotions.)

Repeat. Something different usually comes up after I do step 5, and I try to solve that problem. The guy in the video claims that this is how you orient your brain in the right direction, and that you'll begin to see things associated with your "wish." I did this by accident without knowing and put my self in a peculiar state of mind. Then what do you know I found this video. Quite a trip. It helps if you already think anything is possible and that everyone is capable of change.

 

[walfin]

I am currently trying to get out of burnout. Till now, I have no idea what precipitated the burnout until I dreaded going to work everyday and felt suicidal.

Statistically, my profession (law) generally has a high burnout rate so I am probably in good company.

What's encouraging is that others have either managed to get over their burnout or managed to transition to another industry.

 

[Inexorable Username]

When I'm feeling a burnout I choose something else I can work on. There's a lot of different things you can find to practice on that can help you feel like your time spent at work is more relevant and progressive for you.
For example...The buddhists believe in "mindful meditation". Practicing mindful meditation was the best burnout remedy I've tried so far.

Other little things you can try:

• Learning how to take longer, deeper, timed breaths. There's a Ted Talk about how breath control can make you smarter...I can find it if you want.
• Practicing increasing your peripheral vision. This you can do by just focusing on things you can see in your peripheral vision. You can test your progress by moving your finger through your peripheral vision to see how far you can see. Also, I was told (not yet confirmed) that stretching your eyes can improve your vision. You can stretch your eyes by practicing the activity of staring at something far away (if you normally look at a screen), or potentially even practicing focusing on the tip of your nose for a while. Apparently, if you do that, over time, it will stop hurting your head and become easier as you build up the muscles behind your eyes.
• Practice spreading your toes and activating each toe separately. Rolling your ankles around in circles also builds up the ligaments and tendons.
• Practice manipulating your own thoughts. See if you can achieve a higher degree of mental control by training your brain in special ways. If you talk at work, set speech objectives for yourself (like to never say "uhm")

I'm sorry - it's not very exciting advice, but I'm going off of the assumption that you've tried everything else and you can't take a vacation. These are little ways I've found to make my days feel useful and relevant when I'm bound by responsibilities that make me feel like my life is in purgatory. I like to set small goals for myself, like...to do something x amount of times that day...and then build on it. I like to color in little "loading boxes" on a piece of paper to track my progress - as if it's a game.

Sure, it's a small, stupid thing. However, each of these things COULD make a massive long-term benefit in your life. Better vision, mental control, increased grey matter in the frontal lobe of your brain (in the case of mindful meditation)...

Here's another thought! Try switching up your sleep cycle. Alternative sleep cycles served me really well. By sleeping in two 4 hour shifts instead of one 8 hour shift, I was able to "reset" my brain twice a day, instead of once, and that helped me regulate my emotions and energy better when I needed that the most. Plus, when you wake up after 4 hours, you don't feel like a bear coming out of your cave after a winter hibernation. You feel fresh, alert, and ready to go - once you get used to it.

Oh! Also - you're a poet!
Have you ever thought about making poems in your brain during mental deprivation periods?
I used to do that when I was younger, in order to escape boredom.

Last point!
Have you ever tried telling your phone your feelings?
I know it sounds really ridiculous, but it's what I do for therapeutic purposes. Just turn on voice memos, and record yourself. You can say anything. (Nothing super illegal that the NSA might be interested in...) But essentially anything. Later that day, listen to your memo - see how your thoughts and feelings sound from a third party perspective. Sometimes, it helps me to "snap out of it" if I'm in a funk.

Sorry about your burn out. I hope some of this advice helps in a small way.

 

[walfin]

When I'm feeling a burnout I choose something else I can work on. There's a lot of different things you can find to practice on that can help you feel like your time spent at work is more relevant and progressive for you.
For example...The buddhists believe in "mindful meditation". Practicing mindful meditation was the best burnout remedy I've tried so far.

Other little things you can try:

• Learning how to take longer, deeper, timed breaths. There's a Ted Talk about how breath control can make you smarter...I can find it if you want.
• Practicing increasing your peripheral vision. This you can do by just focusing on things you can see in your peripheral vision. You can test your progress by moving your finger through your peripheral vision to see how far you can see. Also, I was told (not yet confirmed) that stretching your eyes can improve your vision. You can stretch your eyes by practicing the activity of staring at something far away (if you normally look at a screen), or potentially even practicing focusing on the tip of your nose for a while. Apparently, if you do that, over time, it will stop hurting your head and become easier as you build up the muscles behind your eyes.
• Practice spreading your toes and activating each toe separately. Rolling your ankles around in circles also builds up the ligaments and tendons.
• Practice manipulating your own thoughts. See if you can achieve a higher degree of mental control by training your brain in special ways. If you talk at work, set speech objectives for yourself (like to never say "uhm")

I'm sorry - it's not very exciting advice, but I'm going off of the assumption that you've tried everything else and you can't take a vacation. These are little ways I've found to make my days feel useful and relevant when I'm bound by responsibilities that make me feel like my life is in purgatory. I like to set small goals for myself, like...to do something x amount of times that day...and then build on it. I like to color in little "loading boxes" on a piece of paper to track my progress - as if it's a game.

Sure, it's a small, stupid thing. However, each of these things COULD make a massive long-term benefit in your life. Better vision, mental control, increased grey matter in the frontal lobe of your brain (in the case of mindful meditation)...

Here's another thought! Try switching up your sleep cycle. Alternative sleep cycles served me really well. By sleeping in two 4 hour shifts instead of one 8 hour shift, I was able to "reset" my brain twice a day, instead of once, and that helped me regulate my emotions and energy better when I needed that the most. Plus, when you wake up after 4 hours, you don't feel like a bear coming out of your cave after a winter hibernation. You feel fresh, alert, and ready to go - once you get used to it.

Oh! Also - you're a poet!
Have you ever thought about making poems in your brain during mental deprivation periods?
I used to do that when I was younger, in order to escape boredom.

Last point!
Have you ever tried telling your phone your feelings?
I know it sounds really ridiculous, but it's what I do for therapeutic purposes. Just turn on voice memos, and record yourself. You can say anything. (Nothing super illegal that the NSA might be interested in...) But essentially anything. Later that day, listen to your memo - see how your thoughts and feelings sound from a third party perspective. Sometimes, it helps me to "snap out of it" if I'm in a funk.

Sorry about your burn out. I hope some of this advice helps in a small way.

Any advice is helpful. Much appreciated.

I won't do the Buddhist style meditation, though, as I'm a Christian. I'm praying in tongues instead. It helps somewhat.

 

[Inexorable Username]

@Tenacity

Christians also meditate!
Nuns especially meditate - on a daily basis.

Christian meditation and mindfulness - The Irish Catholic

Mindful Living In the preface to Benedictus, his book of blessings, John O’Donohue, philosopher, poet, priest and author, writes that: “There is a quiet light that shines in every heart. It draws no attention to itself though it is always secretly there. It is what illuminates our minds to see...

www.irishcatholic.com

Christian meditation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Buddhism and Christianity share core values and there is much overlap. Christian scholars value the principals of buddhism, and meetings between members of the higher order of both Christianity and Buddhism are not necessarily uncommon.

The Book of Joy, for instance, is a dedication to the relationship between the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, exploring their friendship and the roots of the joy they feel in their lives, despite both men having faced persecution for their faith.

"Over thousands of years, the wisdom traditions of the world have voiced the capacity of meditation to re-awaken the one who meditates to the depths of their hidden selves, to their innate spirituality. ...[mindfulness] creates an opportunity for showing how meditation...can give rise not just to psychological benefit but also to inner flourishing in the spiritual realm."

Christian meditation and mindfulness - The Irish Catholic

Mindful Living In the preface to Benedictus, his book of blessings, John O’Donohue, philosopher, poet, priest and author, writes that: “There is a quiet light that shines in every heart. It draws no attention to itself though it is always secretly there. It is what illuminates our minds to see...

www.irishcatholic.com

Pope Benedict in 1989, wrote this letter regarding Christian meditation:

Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on some aspects of Christian Meditation – Orationis formas

Here's a sort of summary of things that he said:

Is it Okay to Meditate as a Catholic? - The Catholic Gentleman

With the rise of Headspace, Calm, and all of the other mindfulness meditation apps, those of us coming from a Christian background can have a lot of very good questions: are these methods okay to use? Are they bad or evil? Are they Buddhist? Are they in line with Church teaching? I, myself, was...

www.catholicgentleman.net

Thich Naht Khan (A buddhist), shares a useful perspective of the the fundamental concepts that underlie both Buddhism and Christianity in his book "You are Here" (I believe that's the one...anyways..)
The Buddhists describe the plane of enlightenment as a place of bright light and essentially limitless joy and understanding.
The Christians describe the vision of God as being one of blinding light, and the kingdom of heaven as being a bright plane of never-ending joy.
When you become enlightened, you may very well be walking in the kingdom of heaven.

There are many, many more similarities, besides.
In fact, there is a strong suspicion that Jesus, himself, during his hiatus, became an enlightened Buddhist. (You can be Buddhist, and still be other religions, because Buddhism is not a religion, and does not worship a god. It is a study of the 'truths' of life, as observed through those seeking enlightenment. So, Buddhism does not conflict with the essential core necessity of Christianity, which is the acceptance of God as the one true God, and the rejection of all other gods.)
However, I don't think this opinion is widely accepted by scholars of your faith. I think it is mostly expressed by Buddhist scholars. Something to look into, maybe.

The parallels between Buddhism and Christianity are overwhelming, however. Everyone agrees on that point.

Looking at meditation from a purely logical standpoint, to mindfully meditate is simply to focus on what you're doing. Feel the ground beneath your feet, the textures of the objects you're touching, the way your body, itself, feels. Meditation often focuses on the breath, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The body, of course, is a symbol of Christ. By focusing on the body, and the breath, you can connect deeply to a part of your spiritual self, which is often stifled by the material world over over-stimulation and selfish thought.

As far as sitting meditation is concerned, Christians prefer to passage-centered meditation. You can choose a Christian mantra to chant repeatedly, as nuns do routinely, or you can repeat a passage of the Bible to yourself while you meditate.

Physically and mentally, studies suggest that meditation increases the grey matter in your brain, which facilitates decision-making and aids in impulse control. This can be seen as scientific validation for meditation's ability to make us more physically resistant to the temptation of sin.

It also, obviously, calms the temper, and promotes healthy thought and feeling, which can help to manage our perspective of others, and the world around us, and promote a peaceful appreciation for the gift of life.

Here's a link to a Christian review of the Book of Joy:

Book Review: The Book of Joy

Paulist Fr. Tom Ryan on the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu's 2016 work on the nature of joy.

www.paulist.org

Please don't think I'm trying to persuade you to violate the terms of your faith! Obviously, I wouldn't want you to just blindly take my word on any of this. I'd hope that maybe you would discuss these things with your pastor. I'm also not sure which sect of Christianity you observe. However...if it is the case that meditation could bring you closer to God, and reawaken your spirit during the day when life is grating on your nerves, I think that learning to practice it now could be an enormous benefit for you physically and emotionally, and strengthen your spirituality - which, as we know, is an ongoing, lifelong effort.



Maybe, if you pray to God about this subject, you will get a sensation for whether or not meditation is an appropriate practice?

Here's a link that discusses how meditation has physical benefits for your brain, and it also makes an aside to nuns and their practice of meditation.

How God (or more precisely, meditation) changes your brain

Some book titles are too good to pass up. Neuroscientist Andrew Newberg's "How God Changes Your Brain" is one of them.

blogs.reuters.com

 

[walfin]

@Tenacity

Christians also meditate!
Nuns especially meditate - on a daily basis.

Christian meditation and mindfulness - The Irish Catholic

Mindful Living In the preface to Benedictus, his book of blessings, John O’Donohue, philosopher, poet, priest and author, writes that: “There is a quiet light that shines in every heart. It draws no attention to itself though it is always secretly there. It is what illuminates our minds to see...

www.irishcatholic.com

Christian meditation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Buddhism and Christianity share core values and there is much overlap. Christian scholars value the principals of buddhism, and meetings between members of the higher order of both Christianity and Buddhism are not necessarily uncommon.

The Book of Joy, for instance, is a dedication to the relationship between the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, exploring their friendship and the roots of the joy they feel in their lives, despite both men having faced persecution for their faith.

"Over thousands of years, the wisdom traditions of the world have voiced the capacity of meditation to re-awaken the one who meditates to the depths of their hidden selves, to their innate spirituality. ...[mindfulness] creates an opportunity for showing how meditation...can give rise not just to psychological benefit but also to inner flourishing in the spiritual realm."

Christian meditation and mindfulness - The Irish Catholic

Mindful Living In the preface to Benedictus, his book of blessings, John O’Donohue, philosopher, poet, priest and author, writes that: “There is a quiet light that shines in every heart. It draws no attention to itself though it is always secretly there. It is what illuminates our minds to see...

www.irishcatholic.com

Pope Benedict in 1989, wrote this letter regarding Christian meditation:

Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on some aspects of Christian Meditation – Orationis formas

Here's a sort of summary of things that he said:

Is it Okay to Meditate as a Catholic? - The Catholic Gentleman

With the rise of Headspace, Calm, and all of the other mindfulness meditation apps, those of us coming from a Christian background can have a lot of very good questions: are these methods okay to use? Are they bad or evil? Are they Buddhist? Are they in line with Church teaching? I, myself, was...

www.catholicgentleman.net

Thich Naht Khan (A buddhist), shares a useful perspective of the the fundamental concepts that underlie both Buddhism and Christianity in his book "You are Here" (I believe that's the one...anyways..)
The Buddhists describe the plane of enlightenment as a place of bright light and essentially limitless joy and understanding.
The Christians describe the vision of God as being one of blinding light, and the kingdom of heaven as being a bright plane of never-ending joy.
When you become enlightened, you may very well be walking in the kingdom of heaven.

There are many, many more similarities, besides.
In fact, there is a strong suspicion that Jesus, himself, during his hiatus, became an enlightened Buddhist. (You can be Buddhist, and still be other religions, because Buddhism is not a religion, and does not worship a god. It is a study of the 'truths' of life, as observed through those seeking enlightenment. So, Buddhism does not conflict with the essential core necessity of Christianity, which is the acceptance of God as the one true God, and the rejection of all other gods.)
However, I don't think this opinion is widely accepted by scholars of your faith. I think it is mostly expressed by Buddhist scholars. Something to look into, maybe.

The parallels between Buddhism and Christianity are overwhelming, however. Everyone agrees on that point.

Looking at meditation from a purely logical standpoint, to mindfully meditate is simply to focus on what you're doing. Feel the ground beneath your feet, the textures of the objects you're touching, the way your body, itself, feels. Meditation often focuses on the breath, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The body, of course, is a symbol of Christ. By focusing on the body, and the breath, you can connect deeply to a part of your spiritual self, which is often stifled by the material world over over-stimulation and selfish thought.

As far as sitting meditation is concerned, Christians prefer to passage-centered meditation. You can choose a Christian mantra to chant repeatedly, as nuns do routinely, or you can repeat a passage of the Bible to yourself while you meditate.

Physically and mentally, studies suggest that meditation increases the grey matter in your brain, which facilitates decision-making and aids in impulse control. This can be seen as scientific validation for meditation's ability to make us more physically resistant to the temptation of sin.

It also, obviously, calms the temper, and promotes healthy thought and feeling, which can help to manage our perspective of others, and the world around us, and promote a peaceful appreciation for the gift of life.

Here's a link to a Christian review of the Book of Joy:

Book Review: The Book of Joy

Paulist Fr. Tom Ryan on the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu's 2016 work on the nature of joy.

www.paulist.org

Please don't think I'm trying to persuade you to violate the terms of your faith! Obviously, I wouldn't want you to just blindly take my word on any of this. I'd hope that maybe you would discuss these things with your pastor. I'm also not sure which sect of Christianity you observe. However...if it is the case that meditation could bring you closer to God, and reawaken your spirit during the day when life is grating on your nerves, I think that learning to practice it now could be an enormous benefit for you physically and emotionally, and strengthen your spirituality - which, as we know, is an ongoing, lifelong effort.



Maybe, if you pray to God about this subject, you will get a sensation for whether or not meditation is an appropriate practice?

Here's a link that discusses how meditation has physical benefits for your brain, and it also makes an aside to nuns and their practice of meditation.

How God (or more precisely, meditation) changes your brain

Some book titles are too good to pass up. Neuroscientist Andrew Newberg's "How God Changes Your Brain" is one of them.

blogs.reuters.com

Yes, you are right that Christianity has a tradition of meditation as well and, in that sense, it is similar to Buddhism. But Christian meditation has a different focus - it is focused on the contemplation of God (contemplative prayer, scripture memory etc.) and building a relationship with God, rather than self-enlightenment or "emptiness" which is often the goal of Buddhist meditation.

In fact, I think that our praying in tongues is really quite similar in concept to meditation as well, just that we believe that its source is God and not something generated by ourselves or by the "universe", etc.

 

[walfin]

I went back to work yesterday. Wish me luck.