Meditation is not the answer to everything

Lately I've been struggling to stay focused.

Without missing a beat, the first piece of unsolicited advice I got was to try meditating.

Then again.

Meditation.

Whether you're depressed, distracted, grieving, stressed out, anxious or, well, pretty much anything these days, you can rely on someone nearby who won't shut up about the benefits of silent meditation.

Being able to meditate is a precious practice.

I respect it.

What I have a problem with is the pervasive idea that it's somehow the solution to every form of mental and emotional distress.

Meditation is not the answer to everything.

As anyone who has been to one of Goenka's silent retreats knows, meditation helps you find equanimity.

Finding calm is important but it's not quite the same as rehabilitating your brain's ability to focus. Regaining composure may help, but there are more direct ways to address the problem.

More often than not, meditation becomes a crutch.

For 2 years we've all been locked up inside with nothing but a screen for entertainment. This has not been kind to our attention. Coupled with fact that I've spent the last year working on a product built on top of Twitter, my defenses against the many forces of digital distraction are at an all time low.

15 minutes without reaching for my phone is an achievement. I don't even know why I am reaching for it anymore. At this point it's just an emotional reflex.

From where I stand, meditation feels a bit irresponsible.

It's a little like telling someone who's had their leg blown off by a landmine that they should try recovering by training for a marathon.