Keep wondering if I'm "doing it right"

Woah93

Anyone dealing with these doubts while meditating? My thoughts are usually just spurting out in between my breaths and sometimes I catch myself thinking about focusing on my breath instead of just focusing on the actual breath.

This happens A LOT actually. I do tend to view my thought's as mental events arising in the present, but when I do that it's like a looping effect occurs ("Hey, I was thinking about my breath...." "Hey! I was thinking about my breath..." and so forth.

I also tend to consciously breathe instead of actually feeling it in the moment. Is it normal to have this judgemental mind and doubts constantly during meditation? The subtle differences between thought and actual sensory input seems so subtle sometimes. Any help and advice is welcomed

how

Completely normal for beginners and seasoned meditaters alike.
Just focus on meditating, rather than the analysis of the meditation.
Be exactly where you are without attempting to be anywhere else.
If your meditation is the focus on your breathing, allowing the awareness of it to be represented by all the sense gates rather than just one, will soften the strength of visiting thoughts.

lobster

Be gentle.
Bring the mind back gently.
Wandering mind . . . gently back mind . . .
Breathing . . . breathing gently . . .

genkaku

Firm but gentle.

And remember -- if you're worrying about doing it wrong, that's time subtracted from doing it right.
Unless, of course, you think you're doing it right.

Just keep sitting. It'll run out of steam after a while.