Listen to this meditation when you've had a frustrating experience with technology.
I promise you won't need to wait long to find an opportunity for this.
Since you've just had an experience with technology that almost made you pull your hair out of your head,
You're probably experiencing a lot of strong feelings in your body.
Start by putting down or stepping away from the device that irritated you.
If you can't do that,
At least turn away from it or close your eyes.
Find yourself a comfortable position,
Whether it be standing,
Sitting in a chair or on a cushion,
Kneeling or laying down.
Take a long deep breath in through your nose and then gradually and fully release all of the air from your lungs.
Then consciously start to slow down and expand your perception of time.
Taking another,
Slower,
Deeper breath in,
Hold it for a moment and then slowly and gradually exhale fully.
Continue to feel time slow down as you feel yourself soften and take one more,
Even slower and more gradual full deep breath in and then fully exhale through your mouth if you can and let yourself make a sound if that feels comfortable to you.
As you listen to my words,
Hold on to that expansive feeling of time having slowed down as you continue to allow yourself to breathe deeply and naturally but without any special effort.
One reason our experiences with technology can be so frustrating is that many of us have internalized the belief that technology is and must be perfect,
That it will always make our lives better and that it will never fail.
Our culture also encourages the belief that if a device or app doesn't do what we want it to do,
There must be something wrong with us.
Of course our minds tell us it couldn't be that there is something wrong with the technology.
This can trigger self judgment and even shame.
Let me suggest that your irritation with technology may decrease gradually over time if you can find ways to shift your expectations about it and if you can also let go of the belief that the problem when technology fails is that there is something deficient in you.
To help get started on that path,
I'll suggest some mantras.
As we repeat each of them,
Pay attention to which ones resonate the most with you.
The first mantra for letting go of frustration with technology is,
I expect technology to fail to live up to my expectations.
I expect technology to fail to live up to my expectations.
I expect technology to fail to live up to my expectations.
Here is a second mantra.
It is in the nature of technology to fail.
It is in the nature of technology to fail.
It is in the nature of technology to fail.
Here is a third mantra for helping your mind to let go of unrealistic expectations about technology.
Technology does what it does,
Which may not be what I want or need.
Technology does what it does,
Which may not be what I want or need.
Technology does what it does,
Which may not be what I want or need.
And here's my final suggestion for a mantra for letting go of techno frustration.
At most,
I can expect technology to make my life just a little bit easier some of the time.
At most,
I can expect technology to make my life just a little bit easier some of the time.
At most,
I can expect technology to make my life just a little bit easier some of the time.
I'm only half joking when I suggest that you pick one of these mantras and repeat it to yourself whenever you're about to start interacting with technology,
Such as at the start of your work day.
You may find your irritation decreasing the next time you can't print a document or access your favorite website.
And if repeating the mantra makes you smile,
Let that be a good reminder that approaching frustration with just a bit of good humor can create some distance from your irritation and lead you to be just a little less likely to throw that expensive smartphone of yours across the room.
Good luck.
