Step 2 - Go slow!

Emotional energy
During your meditation training, you may have experienced what a challenge it is to be present in the moment. You may also have experienced tears during these exercises. Openness creates a lot of energy in the heart, which can be perceived very emotionally. That's why this new openness trigger tears. This emotional reaction mustn't be mixed up with ordinary sadness that depends on hope that is not fulfilled.

This link brings up a subject we all can relate to: why is it so stressful to be totally exposed to only thoughts, without any amusement to distract the endless stream of thoughts...

Patiens pays off
Remember that changes in the brain takes time, so it's good to be patient!
The positive changes in the brain are according to research findings, in correlation with the hours of meditation. So it pays off to be patient. Mindfulness should not be seen as a burden that leads to a sense of relief when the "performance excersise" is completed. It is advantageous if mindfulness is woven into everyday life in a natural way and becomes a rutine rather than a sense of musts.
It's not easy to switch from the performance oriented life we live in, to a mindful life. You're not alone feeling that mindfulness is a big challenge. We're so adapted to mentally not be in the present moment. This can be changed, but you've got to let it take some time.

In perspective of the challenges that mindfulness constitutes, some expressions has emerged to encourage to carry on:
"- You don't have to like it. Just do it!"
"- Fake it Until You Make It!"

" Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts. "   Albert Einstein

A very interesting observation is that no feeling lasts very long. You may have heard the expression: "Sleep on it." Which means that it is likely that it will feel different in the morning.

In our efficient world, it is easy to think that "if I struggle hard and focus on doing it right, then I will progress faster."
This is not the case with mindfulness. Try not to strive when you practice mindfulness. See the list of "attitudes" below.
A wise person has said: - If you try to win the "war" against your mind, you will be at war forever.
This means that if you try to force your mind to be silence, the mind will respond with even more "uninvited" thoughts.

If you've ben practicing bowling (or golf), you might have experienced that your result is better the times you have been relaxed, and not so performance-oriented. You have followed your feelings rather than your logic.
A better example is if you have problems falling asleep one evening. Would it work best for you if you told yourself: "Now I just have to go to sleep!" or: "Take it easy, relax and read for a while."

The same thing is with mindfulness: If you strive for performance, it has the opposite effect.

This is the reason to why the list below has been introduced. Keep these exhortations in mind during mindfulness exercise:

To "let go" means to let go of things that happened in the past that weigh you down and which you can't change in hindsight anyway. It also means to let go of thought of events in the future that might occur.

"- It's not a matter of letting go - you would if you could. Instead of "let go" we should probably say "let it be.", Jon Kabat-Zinn

A quote from Mark Twain fits well here: "- There has been a huge amount of tragedy in my life and some of it actually happened.
"Acceptance" means accepting how life is right now, instead of building up a resistance or disapproval towards what is.

Experience + Resistance  = Pain
Experience + Acceptance = Peace of mind

There are five major hindrances (Nivarana) for a successful meditation, according to buddhist traditions.
The five hindrances:

Objective observation
Another tool I like, is to see yourself as an "observer" rather than a "meditator".
Most people associate meditation with something: for example a feeling, a technique, something difficult, new age and so on. These prejudices can serve as an obstacle in the practice of mindfulness. Therefore, this has received a position among the attitudes: Beginner's Mind. Look upon your role as an observer with curiosity rather than prejudicially . The title "observer" constitutes a more neutral title for many people and it can also mediate a clearer view of what task to aim for:
Conscious, directed attention in the present moment without judging or evaluating what is observed.

What you don't sense during meditation is as important as what you do sense. If you don't sense anything, that is also to sense consciously.

Common exercises
The following components are the most common mindfulness exercises. These four elements all play an importent part in mindfulness, where they open different doors to our inner self. They represents the various activities of daily life. Sometimes we are sitting, sometimes we are in motion, sometimes we are standing and sometimes we are laying, that's why they complements each other so well and it's therefore positive to alternate between them:

"Mindful eating", is also well worth mentioning. Many of us eat food without really knowing what it tastes like or to know if we've had enough.
So: Focus on what you eat and not on the TV or the phone.

I also want to add "shaking", which I think is an effective tool to rapidly bring down an uncomfortable level of stress. An animal that has escaped a preditor, is often seen shaking to get rid of the stress from the body.

It's very positive to try to weave mindfulness into everyday tasks, as mentioned earlier. It's a good opportunity to be mindful when you are exercising for example. Follow your movements consiously by focusing and feel the movements of the joints or the muscles inside your body, or follow your hand or foot movement with your eyes through the exercise.