You have tried meditation before. You downloaded an app, sat in silence for 10 minutes, thought about your grocery list the entire time, and decided meditation was not for you.
That is not a failure. That is a completely normal first attempt. The problem was not you. The problem was starting at 10 minutes when you should have started at 2.
Start at 2 minutes. Seriously. Two minutes of sitting with your eyes closed and paying attention to your breathing. That is meditation. Not 20 minutes. Not an hour. Two. You can increase the time later, but right now, the only goal is showing up consistently. Nobody is too busy for 2 minutes. Same time, same place, every day. Habit research is clear on this: consistency of context matters more than anything else. Meditate right after you brush your teeth in the morning. Or right before bed. Attach it to something you already do every day and it stops requiring willpower. Your brain will not shut up. That is normal. The biggest misconception about meditation is that you are supposed to think about nothing. Wrong. Meditation is noticing when your mind wanders and gently bringing it back. The wandering IS the practice. Every time you catch yourself thinking about work and return to your breath, that is a mental rep. You are literally training your attention. Apps worth trying. Insight Timer is free and has thousands of guided meditations. No subscription required. If you want something more structured, Headspace and Calm are both solid, but honestly, a free timer with a gentle bell at the end works just as well. Do not let the app decision paralyze you. Pick one and start. What to do when it feels pointless. It will feel pointless. Probably for the first few weeks. You will sit down, think about random stuff for 2 minutes, and wonder what the point is. The point is that you are training your brain to observe instead of react. You will not notice the benefits during meditation. You will notice them at 2 PM when someone sends a frustrating email and you pause for half a second before reacting. The 2-minute progression. Week 1-2: 2 minutes daily. Week 3-4: 5 minutes daily. Month 2: 10 minutes daily. Month 3+: whatever feels right. Some people settle at 10 minutes. Some work up to 20. There is no prize for longer sessions. The prize is showing up.Do not buy a meditation cushion. Do not rearrange your room. Do not watch YouTube videos about meditation theory. Just sit down, close your eyes, set a timer for 2 minutes, and breathe. That is the entire instruction manual.