Thanks for the suggestions Pixel, I'm not sure I could do any kind of productive meditation, for me meditation comes in the form of reading a book, watching a movie, or getting out in the shop to work on some project. My mind clears and I can let it wander during those times, not focusing on the things that stress me out. If I sit in a room with no distractions I get antsy because I always feel there is a better use for my time.
Im sorry man, but this is exactly Opposite to meditation.
Meditation is Not letting the mind wander. Nor is it distraction.
Meditation is a form of training and disciplining the Sub-Conscious mind.
The very fact is.. our minds are in fact... "Out of control", due to our Subc. being completely undisciplined, and as a result... its like our minds are a bunch of puppies... pulling our thoughts all over the place, distracting us, disrupting our peace and full enjoyment in life (the present. The "Gift")
We have grown to accustomed to accept this... but it does not have to be this way. Just as you can train a puppy... as well as discipline an unruly child... via "Time Out".
When your child gets up from time-out... you have to place them back there immediately. The child will fight you every step of the way. If you let up... they will accept that you are defeatable / defeated.. .and continue to push their boundary's and bad behaviors.
You may have to sit them back there several times in a hour. And when they repeat the behavior another time... you have to repeat the punishment... until.. it finally sinks in, that you will not tolerate this behavior anymore. That the result will always be the same. That they will have to change. You have to break their bad intention willpower. To Re-Program them. To teach them proper discipline and behavior.
Your minds subconscious however, is still at the child-like state. Often running some very bad programs, that sabotage your very life, in many ways you do not even realize. All of your best conscious efforts, can easily be submarined by the negative programs of the subconscious mind.
Meditation is the Time-Out tool. However, its a little more than just sitting there. For the Subconscious mind... allowing it to wander free... is not punishment. That is its freedom. Instead, you give the Subconscious mind a drone task. Something it can not escape away from. In meditation... that task is to focus on the internal feeling of the breath, counting the seconds, and the visualizations.
Together... all of these need constant work... and so the subconscious can not 'escape'. Can not drag your thoughts away. Its simply too busy. The tasks also makes it easier for the Conscious mind, to snap it back to focus when it Tries to escape.
Just like trying to tame puppies... or a child... it takes a lot of training time. It does not happen in a single session. And being that we have allowed this spoiled little child to develop to full adult-hood this way... its even longer a process than both said examples. In this case... maybe 2 to 3 months of daily 45 min - 1hr sessions. If you skip a day... its even worse than the bad child example. The mind immediately throws the training out the window... and discards it as it nothing was done. But if you keep at it... the brain will eventually change.
The subconscious will finally turn from wild pups, to fully grown dogs that are sitting upright, quietly, with full attention, ready and waiting for your commands. Old negative programs will be wiped out. Health and peace of mind will change. Perspectives will shift. Life will become easier, and more enjoyable. The subc. will start seeking out things for you, to aid in your life... running more positive programs.
The conscious mind, will also gain more power and control. Especially since, when you had it running full tilt, when the body was in sleep-mode... you have linked it more to the realm of the subconscious mind. You gain a better communication channel. And so things work together so much better, as a result. You both merge on a greater level... rather than fighting each other.
Multi-Thousands of studies have been done on mediation benefits.. and the results are staggering.
You can choose to ignore them all... choose to believe that the science is "Magic", and cant possibly work... and or choose to
remain ignorant, and or repeat the same behavior... or.. you can take simple, easy, gamble. One that pays 1 billion to 1, and cost not a single penny, if you lose.
Trust me, it will be the biggest and best thing, you could ever do for yourself.