At the beginning of 2018, I somehow managed to meditate for 76 days straight. I’m not sure I’ve ever done anything as consistently in my life before, so this felt like a mega win for me. Not to mention meditation makes me feel calmer and less overwhelmed, so I felt pretty good about life for 76 days in a row.
I’ve talked to a few people who say they want to meditate more, but they just can’t seem to make it a habit. After all, we’ve heard that meditation can help with our emotional, physical, and mental well-being. We want to reap the benefits, but meditation doesn’t come naturally to those of us who overthink and overanalyze.
Though I’m not as consistent with it as I was before, meditation is still something I try to do on weekday mornings for 5-10 minutes when I first wake up. If you’re someone who wants to get into a meditation habit but you aren’t being consistent with it, I want to share a few tips that helped make meditation easier for me.
Two Key Meditation Reminders
I’m not sure how my first meditation session went or what I did, but I do know that it inspired me to make meditation part of my daily routine. If you’ve never meditated before or you’re simply trying to meditate more, there are two key things to know:
1. The goal of meditation is not to stop thinking altogether. If you’ve tried meditation before and felt like you failed because you couldn’t quiet your mind, you didn’t fail. The goal of meditation is to help you stop reacting to all of the thoughts that enter your mind. Meditation is there to gently remind you that not all of your thoughts need to be dealt with immediately.
2. Meditation doesn’t have to take forever. If you try meditating for the first time with a twenty-minute session, it will feel overwhelming because you’ve never done it before. Meditation is a practice, and it’s something that you get better at every time you do it. The key is to start slowly and build upon your practice.
Related Post: 5 Things You Should Know About Meditation
How To Make Meditation A Practice
Sometimes we make meditation more complicated than it needs to be. Instead of overthinking it (the opposite of meditation, right?), follow the steps below to set yourself up for success:
1. Find Your Motivation
As with any new habit, it’s important to understand your motivation for getting started. I meditate because I feel like it makes me a calmer person during the day, and I have to constantly remind myself that life is better when I meditate. Perhaps you want to meditate to reduce anxiety or be a kinder person. Whatever your motivation is, get clear on it and come back to it often.
2. Choose Your Tools
When you have the right tools, meditation can feel a lot less daunting. I find guided meditations a lot easier to follow than trying to meditate in silence, but everyone has their own preferences. If you’re looking for a good meditation app, I recommend Calm, Headspace, and Insight Timer. There are also plenty of free meditation videos you can search for on YouTube (like these ones from Deepak Chopra and The Journey Junkie).
3. Set a Time
If you want to start making meditation part of your routine, it’s important to carve out time for it. I’ve found that the only way I can get myself to do it every day is to open up my Calm app right after I wake up. When meditation is the first thing I do, I start my day feeling less anxious. If you truly want to make meditation a practice, you have to decide when you’re going to do it each day and make it so you can’t talk yourself out of it.
4. Create a Meditation Space
Although you can practice meditation anywhere, I find it helpful to have a designated meditation space that feels familiar to you. You don’t have to create a fancy meditation area in your home, but you do want to find a comfortable place where you can sit with your back upright. I choose to meditate upright in bed. You might prefer to lay out a yoga mat in your living room or sit on some pillows in a quiet corner. Find what works for you!
Related Post: 7 Ways To Create A Peaceful Space Around You
5. Track Your Progress
One of the reasons I was able to meditate for 76 days straight was because I kept track of my progress. Both Calm and Headspace have built-in trackers that show you how many days you’ve meditated in a row, and I find this incredibly motivating because I never want to break my streak. If you’re not using either of these apps, you could simply keep track of it in your planner or daily to-do list.
How Did You Get Started With Meditation?
Do you have any favorite meditation tools or tips for getting started? Leave a comment below!
12 Responses
Deepak offers a wonderful 21-Day Meditation Series that is free. All you need to do is sign up. The series covers many different topics. The upcoming one will focus on “Energize Your Life: Secrets for a Youthful Spirit.” The next one starts on October 29th. Totally worth listening..
Thanks for sharing, Ann!
Great post! I’ve been trying to keep up a meditation practice for so many years, but finally (after a loot of time) I figured out the way that actually works for me:
1. All I have to commit to is five minutes. Anything longer and I will find ways to think I’m “too busy.” You’re so right in that it doesn’t have to be a monster session to give benefits!
2. I keep a tracker in the weekly spread of my bullet journal so I’m constantly reminded of it and motivated to check the boxes.
3. I only have it as a must during the weekdays. I don’t follow the same routines on the weekends and get discouraged by missed boxes, so this is something I started implementing just this week!
Ooh yes, we are on the same wavelength! I also don’t make it a priority on the weekends because I don’t feel as though I need it as much as I do on weekdays.
I love Insight Timer. There are so many meditations there, I always find something for the time I have and mood I’m in.
Yes, exactly! There are so many good resources out there.
Yesterday as was reflecting on my day, I thought to myself I would like to start a routine of yoga, but wondered how should I start.? This article is quite helpful. I had been doing yoga routinely until I moved to rural Nebraska. Since I leave a distance from the nearest gym. I dread getting back in my car. I appreciate the tips since starting a routine is more ideal at home for me. I really like the tracker tip. I have wanted to start a bullet journal and now I can!!!
Thank you.
So glad this post was helpful for you, Macaela!
Brilliant post. So informative and reliable, Really helpful in understanding the basics. Thanks for sharing this and keep up the good work, very much appreciated.
I meditate daily every morning I use Gabrielle Bernstein meditations.
Been doing it as a morning routine and it has been great so far. I journal after meditation and that is helpful.
Hi Catherine, great post, really enjoyed it! I’ve been meditating on and off for years now, but have never been able to make it a habit that sticks especially because once I get into a semi-habit and do it let’s say every morning for a few months, something changes in my schedule not allowing me to do it at that time. Then it takes another few months to get into the grove of things again. So frustrating – but it’s a work in progress! I like to mix it up though, with Calm, Insight Time, and Simple Habit – keeps things interesting.
Thanks for the helpful tips! And the pictures are lovely – very relaxing!