Tonight I kept it simple, I just sat with the intention to keep my attention with the breath while being generally aware of thoughts, emotions and sensations. Actually, the key is to be aware of being aware, knowing where your attention is. Lately I have the strategy to use a mala that I always wear. It’s a string of beads and you hold it in your hand. 
With each breath you let a bead go through the fingers and you move to the next. This way you couple an action to the breath, this makes it easier to stay present. I also use it during meetings or presentations, it’s inconspicuous and I’m actually meditating while still aware of what’s being said. But I digress.
I sat for about 35 minutes with the mala and it calmed me down a lot. There were emotions and thoughts but they were observed, they had far less power over me. It’s in moments like this that I see the truth of my experience; you see how peaceful and quiet everything can be in the absence of thought.