Except don't 'force' them! These is very central to the whole practice: you make things worse by forcing, your mind settles on its own if you just learn how to

Except don't 'force' them! These is very central to the whole practice: you make things worse by forcing, your mind settles on its own if you just learn how to not disturb it for a sufficient amount of time. (Source: hundreds of hours studying meditation literature and listening to lectures, daily practice for ~2 years.) A common example is to compare the mind to the surface of some body of water: it starts rough and active and you'd like it to be still. However, any mental action you take in attempt to still it (as opposed to allowing it to settle on its own) is akin to using your hands to 'settle' the water's surface; you just disturb it more.