Have you been trying to build a meditation practice into your daily routine but find that life just gets in the way?
I’ve been there. You start with great intentions and it all goes well for a few days. Then things get busier and meditating becomes something that gets bumped down your to do list. There’s just so much more you could be doing with that time!
There are so many benefits to meditation (I explore these here), especially for those of us living with chronic pain and the associated stress this brings. I’d love meditation to be something that’s of value to you, not just another thing that you’re worrying about fitting into your day.
Here are some tips to help you start and maintain a meditation practice:
Start small
As a novice runner, I can safely say I would not attempt to run a marathon without putting in some serious training, gradually increasing the distance I can run over (a lot of) time. Well the same goes for meditation. Setting out to meditate for 30 minutes every day is generally not sustainable if you’re new to the practice.
What’s a manageable amount of time you could fit into your schedule? This could be just 5 minutes, or maybe even less at the start.
Starting small will make you more likely to succeed in completing a meditation practice each day and build momentum with it as your confidence grows.
Consistency is key
Research shows that it’s consistency that counts in both building a new habit and experiencing the benefits of meditation. 5 minutes every day is more beneficial than an hour once a week.
My teacher shared this metaphor - your meditation practice is like a bucket of water. You start with an empty bucket and each time you practice, another drop of water is added to the bucket. Take a break from the practice with only a few drops in the bucket, and the water will evaporate pretty quickly. Keep meditating and the bucket will fill up. The water will take longer to evaporate when the bucket is full. But left long enough, it will always evaporate eventually.
The benefits of meditation are like the water in the bucket. To maintain the benefits of the practice, it is important that there is consistency, especially at the beginning.
Create your space
Choose a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. You might want to sit on a cushion on the floor or in a chair with your feet on the ground. Lying down also works, but in my experience, there’s more chance of falling asleep like this!
You could surround yourself with objects that inspire you, such as photos and candles or anything that brings you joy. This is absolutely not essential! But having somewhere you enjoy being will help build consistency.
Schedule your meditation
Life is busy and it can be hard to make time for building a new habit like a meditation practice when it’s not part of your daily schedule.
Try diarising a time for meditation. If you can, meditate at the same time and the same place each day. This can help build consistency.
Including time for meditation on your schedule helps prioritise the practice in that moment, knowing that there will be time to move on to all your other daily activities afterwards.
Try scheduling meditation time for one week and notice how it’s working for you. Maybe the time or the place needs to be adjusted. Experiment and see what’s best for you.
Find the right meditation for you
There are many types of meditation (I explore these here). You are unique and you will need a style of meditation that works for you.
Guided meditations - where someone guides you through the practice - are a great way to start. It takes the guess work out of what you should be doing. There are a variety of smartphone apps that offer guided meditations, such as Insight Timer; Headspace; Calm; Stop, Breathe & Think; and Simple Habit.
What is most important is that you find guided meditations that you like and use them regularly.
Don’t mind your thoughts!
There is a common misconception that you are not supposed to have thoughts or that thoughts are bad during meditation. This leaves you believing that you’re just not any good at meditation, feeling frustrated and eventually giving up. This is certainly what happened to me!
The truth is that thoughts are not only okay during meditation, but they are also part of the practice. Each time you notice a thought, you have the opportunity to bring your attention back to the present moment and the object of your focus. This is training your brain - building the muscle of attention. Each time you notice that you are thinking and come back to your object of focus, the stronger your attention and focus becomes.
At the beginning of your practice in particular, it is completely normal to experience an almost constant stream of thoughts, feelings, and sensations. These are always going on, and meditation allows you to become more aware of it all.
Be clear on your intention and note your excuses
Be clear on why you want to meditate. The clearer your motivation, the more inspired you will be to show up consistently (even when you think there are better things you could be doing with your time!)
Meditation is a practice of self-awareness. Notice what excuses your mind creates for breaking your commitment - “I don’t have time”, “I’ll do it later”, “I’m too tired”). Observe these excuses without judgment and take the opportunity to bring to mind your intention for why you want to practice meditation. Do your best to follow through anyway, even if it is just for a few minutes.
Reflect on the benefits
Notice how you feel at the end of the practice. You could even journal about the benefits you are experiencing to inspire you to maintain a consistent practice.
Learn about what your meditation practice is doing for you. What do you love about it? Do you have a clearer mind? Do you feel calmer or more relaxed? Is there a sense of satisfaction from knowing you’re doing something that benefits your physical and mental health? However you find the value, allow that to be the reason you return to the practice every day.
Make yourself accountable
What helps to motivate you? Is it the satisfaction of seeing a daily check in the calendar? Or recruiting an accountability buddy who you check in with daily? Or maybe simply stating your intention to meditate to someone else, or scheduling the time for meditation on your phone is enough.
Making yourself accountable can help build consistency and help motivate you when things go off track.
Be kind to yourself
Many of us can have a tendency to be hard on ourselves. Let your meditation be a practice of relating to yourself with patience, acceptance, and kindness.
Don’t be hard on yourself if you miss a day or two. Those drops in the bucket won’t evaporate that quickly!