How much should i try while meditating?

I have just started meditating and was wondering how much effort should I put into not getting distracted ? As I have noticed while practicing there are varying degrees of trying I can use the more I use the more focused I am but I also feel like my mind is working harder and kind of less relaxed . Should I even be trying at all ? Because when I am not trying at all mostly the wave of thoughts easily sweep me away from the meditation. Or is it like finding the balance between trying really hard and not trying ? If the last one is the case how can I find the balance ?