5 Tips to Make Meditation a Daily Habit
Do you want to tap into the powerful effects of daily meditation, but don't know where to begin?
Meditation is being used more and more as a tool to balance the stresses a high-paced lifestyle has on our mental health and wellbeing. There are countless benefits of practicing mindfulness and focusing our attention on the present moment.
Maybe you want to sleep better, stress less, and give up the vices that help you cope - but you're struggling to find the time to meditate.
In this article, we'll explore five simple tips to help you create a lasting meditation practice that works for you.
Let's get started.
1. Set your intentions
You already know how life-changing meditation is. You've heard it from a friend, or when binge-watching mindfulness YouTube channels.
But it's not enough to simply start meditating because someone recommended it to you. Setting an intention - your reason why - is vital to creating a meditation practice that you'll stick to.
Without it, you'll struggle to find a good enough reason to keep at it (especially on those days you'd rather watch a whole series on Netflix than sit with your thoughts).
Your priorities and struggles could be vastly different from the people who suggested you give meditation a try. What works for them won't necessarily work for you.
Start by thinking about what you want meditation to help with. Some ideas could be:
Help to quit smoking or drinking
Reducing stress and anxiety
Better quality sleep
Managing a chronic illness
Success at work or school
Now write it down. You're more likely to commit to meditating regularly if you do this. It'll be a gentle motivator on those more difficult days, and a benchmark to see how you're progressing over the weeks and months.
Frame it positively - focus on what you want to gain, not what you want to avoid. For example, instead of 'I don't want to get ill from smoking cigarettes’, try 'I will have more energy and free money to spend on my family when I no longer need cigarettes'. It's the same outcome but focuses on joy rather than fear.
Also, it's okay to change up your intentions. Life can throw all kinds of challenges our way, and your intentions may change as you grow as a person. What was once important to work through with meditation may no longer be a priority in the future.
2. Keep it short and sweet
When you imagine meditating, do you conjure up images of sitting cross-legged on a mat for hours on end? It doesn't have to be that way.
Between work, raising a family, socializing, and generally taking care of adult responsibilities, it's simply not feasible to spend hours a day concentrating on nothing but your breathing.
Shorter meditation sessions work especially well for beginners. We're talking 5-15 minutes a session, which most people can easily make time for.
If you're just starting out, you might find it tricky to switch off your brain when meditating. It's called your 'monkey mind' - when your thoughts drift to random places that prevent you from focusing. Keeping things short and sweet makes it easier to focus, quietening those intrusive thoughts the more you practice.
Consistency is far more important than the total time you spend meditating. Shorter, regular bouts are more effective than occasional long sessions, so consider adding a few short exercises to your calendar each week.
You'll feel much more accomplished! That kind of encouragement is key to keeping you on track.
3. Figure out your best time of day
You may have heard that meditating before breakfast is best. Or meditating just before you go to bed. Or after a workout.
Which one is it?
The truth is that the best time to meditate is a time that you're able to stick to. This varies from person to person.
It's not just about your other commitments - when are you most able to concentrate? If you find you're too preoccupied in the morning, then try the evening instead, or vice versa.
Remember, it’s a practice. Meditation is all about building a routine with consistent effort. If each day of the week requires meditating at different times, go for it! Why make it harder than it needs to be?
Creating a schedule that's easier for you to stick to on a long-term basis means you're less likely to make excuses not to meditate.
4. Accept imperfection
In the world of mindfulness and spirituality, you may feel external pressure to be 'zen', 100% of the time.
But guess what? There's no such thing as perfection.
Meditation is not about trying to achieve a perfect life or impressing others with how much you meditate, or with how 'together' you appear.
On the contrary - the whole point in meditating is to change your mindset to accept that life isn't perfect, helping you deal with the challenges the universe puts in front of you.
With your very best intentions, life still gets in the way.
At some point, you'll forget to meditate for a few days, be unable to focus no matter how hard you try, or question if it's really working at all.
It doesn't mean you've failed. If you feel frustrated with meditating or something just doesn't work for you, you have the power to change things up.
Try:
Meditating for less time
Fewer times a week
Change how and where you practice
You can't micromanage life - practice makes progress, and doing your best is better than doing nothing at all.
5. Use guidance and resources
The internet is an incredible source for anyone looking to start practicing meditation.
No matter if you've never done it before, you're short on time, or you have no idea what kind works best, there are resources and guides for everyone.
No idea where to look? There are many tools and platforms that can help you on your way to being mindful every day, including:
Writing in a gratitude journal
Practice mindfulness while you eat a meal, or drink your morning coffee
Breathing exercises
Intention or gratitude cards
As a beginner, feel free to experiment with different methods to find what works best for you.
Conclusion
Daily meditation is achievable through small, regular habits. Setting your intention is key - thinking about what you want to gain from meditation keeps you motivated to continue.
Start out with short, focused sessions - consistency is better than occasional long bouts of meditation. Choose times that suit your lifestyle, so you're less likely to skip them or make excuses.
Accept that life will sometimes get in the way, and not beat yourself up about it. Practice makes progress!
Finally, experiment with different kinds of meditation using resources, tools, and guides available online. With regular practice, you'll soon build up a daily meditation habit that helps you achieve your goals.
