If sitting completely still and clearing your mind of any and all thoughts sounds daunting, take heart: Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to do either to meditate. Not only can intentional movement sometimes play a role in meditation, but so can harnessing your thoughts for heightened awareness and focus. But if you’re at a loss, read on for expert tips and suggestions for the age-old question: What do you think about when you meditate?

Why It May Be Difficult to Tune Out Distractions While Meditating

Licensed therapist Tessa Gordon says there are a number of reasons why finding a sense of focus during meditation may be difficult. “Sometimes the duration of the meditation is too long, especially for beginners, and the practice of focusing the mind and thoughts is still developing,” she says. “Much like any skill, it’s something to build over time, not expect to sit and meditate for 30 minutes right out the gate.” 

But what if you’ve gradually grown your meditation practice over time and are still spending your sessions worrying about work, friends, family, or what’s for dinner? An all-too-common culprit may be the myth of needing to maintain stick-straight posture for the duration of each practice. 

“There is a misconception that when you meditate, you must sit with cross legs and never move,” says Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts, a Peloton meditation and yoga instructor. “When the practice is approached in this way, the physical discomfort will usually distract us from anything outside of the loudest irritation. Sometimes this can create a snowball effect and then distractions like sounds, smells, etc. begin to take over.”

Aside from the logistics of timing and positioning, the general cultural pressures to constantly strive for productivity and perfection can also mess with our focus during meditation. “Finding focus these days feels especially hard because we’ve trained our brains to crave multitasking and immediate gratification,” says Marianna Strongin, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of StrongInTherapy. “We’re constantly pulled toward the next thing, the next email, the next notification, the next small hit of accomplishment, and as a result, we’ve lost the skill of focusing on just one thing at a time.”

As Strongin sees it, meditation challenges all of that ingrained conditioning. “It asks us to let go of our thoughts without judgment and to simply stay, which, for most of us, feels uncomfortable,” she says. “Meditation doesn’t give us the quick satisfaction our brains are used to; instead, it offers something quieter and slower, the kind of calm that builds over time if we can just stay with it.”

Gordon agrees, noting that with so much in our society demanding our attention and draining our emotions, it can be extra challenging to turn down the volume on anxious thoughts. “To begin a meditation practice, the practice of quieting all those thoughts, demands, worries, and more can be overwhelming,” she says. “There does seem to be an idea about what meditation looks like, and if that version isn’t working for the individual, then there can be a decrease in motivation to continue. That tape can begin to get louder in the head: ‘I’m doing this wrong,’ ‘it isn’t working,’ ‘I feel more distracted than ever,’ ‘what’s the point,’ etc.”

Dr. Chelsea reiterates that no matter how seasoned of a practitioner you may be, intense focus will be at least occasionally elusive. “It’s quite common to have a hard time settling into meditation—even if you’ve been practicing for several months, years, or decades,” she says. “As long as you are human, life will happen and the best practice is to not beat yourself up if getting settled is a challenge.”

And as it turns out, many believe the search for focus is actually a core principle of the practice itself. Learning to sit with yourself and find self-compassion even when your attention drifts is part of the process. “I think a human response to pausing and sitting with ourselves can initially feel overwhelming and our brains can create expectations that are unattainable in order to make it easier for us to not give something new a try—especially if that something new is to simply sit and breathe for five minutes,” Dr. Chelsea says. “Meditation itself is an opportunity to sit with ourselves. That takes both practice and patience.” 

What to Think About When Meditating

For whatever reason, myths abound about what you’re supposed to think about while meditating—especially around the idea of “clearing your mind.” Not only is it virtually impossible to wipe your brain clean of any cognition (studies show we have around 6,000 thoughts per day), but a blank slate isn’t even necessary to meditate.

“You do not have to have a ‘clear mind,’” Dr. Chelsea says. “It’s encouraged to just notice what may be on your mind, but not staying attached and lingering on that thought during your meditation. It doesn’t happen overnight, and you are certainly not expected to do this really meaningful thing [while] sitting still and ignoring your physical discomfort.” 

According to Strongin, not only are we unable to completely empty our brains (which is, by all accounts, a good thing), but the very purpose of meditation is to observe the mind and eventually develop the ability to slow it down. “You learn to watch thoughts, emotions, and sensations as they arise without judgment or attachment,” she says. “It gives you a chance to detach from your thoughts and hover above it. Over time, this repeated practice creates space between you and your thoughts, which can give you more control of your emotions throughout the day.”

But if you’re not supposed to clear your mind, what are you supposed to think about while meditating? You could try one of Peloton’s guided meditation classes, in which the instructor will help you explore various techniques to calm and center your mind, from visualization to guided breathwork and beyond. (This can be especially helpful if you’re a meditation newbie.)

Another way to keep your thoughts from racing during meditation: finding a mental or physical “anchor” to focus your attention. “Different anchors will work to focus different aspects of our attention, and this will also be different for different people,” Gordon says. “What matters most is finding the anchor that will bring your awareness back to the present moment, without increasing discomfort or thoughts.” 

Here are a few of the most common meditation anchors to try.

1. Breathwork 

Breathwork is a centuries-old practice that involves deliberately controlling your breath to achieve a specific outcome, which may include energizing or calming your mind, enhancing your mental focus, deepening relaxation, or more. “Breathwork is a great way to stay connected to your meditation, and it can also support your central nervous system as you meditate, which directly helps you focus,” Dr. Chelsea says. 

Gordon also recommends breath-based practices and says it’s helpful to specifically focus on the rhythm of the breath, as well as what it feels like entering and leaving the body. A few specific practices she recommends include belly breathing, alternate nostril breathing, and rhythmic or percussive breathing. 

2. Physical Sensations

If you find your mind wandering during meditation, you may be able to ground yourself in the moment by tuning into the physical sensations in your body. “For example, note your feet on the ground, the sensation of air on your skin, the seat of the chair as it supports your body,” Gordon says. 

A few specific ways to use sensation as an anchor include body scans (which involve shifting your focus to various parts of the body and noting the sensations at each location) and body awareness meditations (which are similar to the body scan, but rather than following a linear path, you allow your awareness to shift to various parts of your body that may be experiencing sensation). 

3. Mantra

Another way to focus your mind during meditation is to use a mantra, aka the repetition of a specific sound or short phrase. “Mantra is a great tool because it can be a word or phrase that you return to that is both encouraging and motivating,” Dr. Chelsea says.

While you can choose to repeat a mantra out loud or silently in your own mind, simply focusing your attention on it can allow your mind to relax and drop into a meditative state. “I like to have a mantra that is specific to each person,” Strongin says. “For example, my mantra is ‘one breath and one step at a time,’ but everyone has to find their own. This one helps me because it reminds me that in motion feelings change and what feels hard today might not feel so hard tomorrow.” 

Gordon recommends repeating a word or phrase to yourself in the form of a verse, song lyric, or affirmation. But if that doesn’t work for you, consider a super simple strategy: counting. “Count up from one to 10 or down from 10 to one,” she says.

4. Visualization

Unlike other forms of meditation, visualization involves calling a specific and detailed image, scene, or experience to mind in order to help focus your thoughts and calm your body. “Visualization is an accessible tool that can be done at various ages,” Dr. Chelsea says. “This is why I love integrating visualization into our family programming that supports our younger members too.” 

Gordon says you can conjure up just about any scene in your mind during a visualization, including a landscape, object, or a previous experience. “Some common ones include the flame of a candle, the smoke from a fire, or waves at the ocean,” she says.

5. Sounds

Cueing up a soothing music playlist may help some people center their attention, but for others, tuning into the sounds around them can be the ticket to finding focus. “Sitting in my yard or on a morning walk, I draw my attention to the sound of birds that are filling the trees,” Gordon says. “I hear the faint lapping of the river along the beach and notice as it shifts to the sound of waves in the ocean.”

Even if a nature walk isn’t in the cards for you, Gordon says it’s possible to find focus in any environment. “Right now my air conditioning is blowing and making a fan-like sound as it pushes cold air out onto me,” she says. “My dog is laying in bed next to me and I hear his breathing. I notice it’s a bit more audible and rapid than usual because he hasn’t yet cooled down. I hear the faint whir of the ceiling fan as it helps to circulate the cooler air from the aircon.” Directing your attention to the everyday sounds around you can help you ground and re-group. 

What to Do When You Get Distracted During Meditation

Even with the very best anchors and the most solid meditation routine imaginable, distractions will happen—and that’s more than OK. “If you notice your focus has shifted, don’t judge yourself,” Gordon says. “Instead, acknowledge the shift, then return to the anchor you chose. If you find the chosen anchor is not supporting you in focusing the mind, consider changing to an alternate anchor, or even pairing two of them together, such as the breath with a visualization.” 

Here are some other tips to help bring your mind back to the task at hand.

Get Your Blood Pumping

Yes, the stereotypical depiction of meditation involves sitting as still as possible on a cushion, but you don’t necessarily have to assume a static position to quiet your mind. “Meditation is often associated with stillness of the body,” Gordon says. “However, that is not a requirement, and sometimes, the stillness increases the thoughts. Try pairing movement with the breath. This could mean lifting the hips up as you inhale and lowering them on the exhale. You could also try walking and counting up to 10 as you pair each step with a count. It could also include dancing to neutral music.”

Doing a pre-meditation workout can also help expel some physical energy so you’re less likely to fidget during your session. “Do a little movement—like yoga, a walk, jumping jacks—before your next meditation,” Dr. Chelsea says. 

Consider Your Timing

While there’s no “right” time to meditate, finding a time that works for you and your routine can help ensure your mind and body are prepared for the task at hand.  “I think the time of day you meditate really matters—not because one time is better than another, but because it’s about building consistency,” Strongin says. “Those who stay with meditation and truly experience its benefits treat it the same way as something woven into daily life, not as an extra task to squeeze in when there’s time.”

Find a Physical Anchor

Similar to tuning into your physical sensations, taking note of the objects around you can help bring you back to the present moment and help you regain focus during your meditation. “Hold or look at an object,” Gordon says. “This could mean actually lighting a candle and watching the flame, as opposed to visualizing the flame. Perhaps you have a rock or stone that you can hold and move about in your hands, noticing the feel of it in your hand, or even looking at the rock and describing it silently, as if you were talking to someone who could not see what you were holding and had never heard of a rock before.”

Switch Things Up

If the “rules” of meditation aren’t working for you, feel free to break them. You don’t actually have to sit quietly for 30 minutes at a time—actually, you don’t have to sit at all if it’s not serving you. “Try a smaller increment of time next practice—even if time is measured by three full breaths,” Dr. Chelsea says. “Or try standing or lying down instead of sitting.”

Gordon says that she struggled with meditation for a long time because she was only taught to do it in a seated or reclined position. “But for me, as soon as my body stopped, it was as if tons of hamsters started running full speed on their little wheels inside my head,” she says. “What shifted for me was coming to learn that I could practice moving meditations, and my body did not need to be in a seated upright position or flat to meditate. So I encourage people to experiment and find what feels good for you.”

Let It Go

Arguably the most important meditation tip? Rather than ruminating on all the ways your mind let you down, remember that distraction is a natural part of the process. “If you get distracted, don’t judge yourself,” Strongin says. “Meditation is a muscle we have to learn to flex every day. Some days it will feel easier and other days much harder, but it’s the showing up that matters most.”

The Takeaway

Meditation isn’t about clearing your mind (whatever that means); it’s about learning to work with the thoughts and inherent distractions that naturally come up. Rather than fighting the noise, it can be helpful to cultivate awareness and focus by gently observing your thoughts without judgment. When your mind inevitably wanders (which it will, even for seasoned practitioners), the act of noticing and returning your attention to an anchor is the meditation itself.

To support your focus, find an anchor that works for you, whether that’s breathwork, physical sensations, mantras, visualization, or even ambient sounds. And if sitting still or clearing your mind feels uncomfortable, consider adjusting the logistics: Try a shorter duration, incorporate intentional movement, or change your physical position. Remember that meditation is a skill that requires patience, so keep showing up, and over time, that consistency will pay off with calmer, gentler, more compassionate thoughts.