Eyes gently closed, breaths slow and steady: Meditation, at least when other people are doing it, always looks so peaceful.

But in our chronically distracted, phone-addicted world, sitting still for 10 or 20 minutes is tough and often causes your brain to pinball between errant thoughts. Meditation teachers say that you should recognize those impulses and then come back to your breath or whatever you are focused on.

But what if you can’t find your way back? What if you are just left frustrated?

“That feeling is very common,” said Dan Harris, co-author of “Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics” and founder of the mindfulness app Ten Percent Happier. But, he added, “distraction in meditation is not proof of failure.”

Still, it can feel discouraging in the moment, as if you’ve failed or somehow missed the point. But the benefits of mindfulness can outweigh the frustrations; even short bursts of meditation can help people become more focused, less anxious and less depressed, even those who have the most trouble focusing in daily life.

“Mindfulness helps people for a number of different reasons — including that it helps with learning how to regulate attention,” said John Mitchell, an associate professor at Duke University and an expert in mindfulness and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Much of the research on distraction and meditation comes from A.D.H.D. experts like Dr. Mitchell who have, over the past 15 years, shown that it can be especially beneficial for people with attention disorders — despite the specific challenge that sitting still represents. And the discoveries these experts have made can benefit everyone who is looking for help in becoming a more skilled meditator.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.mw cash

• How
• to
• mw cash
• When
• Meditate