The Power of a Meditation Habit
I am a naturally anxious person. Years ago a friend suggested I start a meditation practice to help me deal with my anxiety. I tried on and off without success because I was putting too much pressure on myself to do it ‘just right’. What I eventually realized was that it didn’t matter whether the meditation went well or not, or if I felt the sense of peace seasoned meditators elude to in every session, what mattered most was that I showed up every day. But, I had to work very hard to make it a daily habit.
“The more regularly and the more deeply you meditate, the sooner you will find yourself acting always from a center of peace.”
– J. Donald Walters
Why is it important to create a daily meditation habit?
Research has proven that meditation provides positive effects on our health and happiness, even if it’s not a daily habit. However, studies show that we can unlock even more benefits when we meditate for consecutive days. In fact, completing just one 10-minute session a day enhances our focus and decision-making, and lessens our feelings of anxiety and depression. It essentially shifts the way we relate to feelings and thoughts, making us more emotionally resilient and allowing us to experience a greater sense of calm, clarity, and focus.
Backing the health benefits of meditation, the Harvard Medical School released a report in 2020 stating that “several practices that help calm the mind can also lower blood pressure.” They found that meditation is indeed helpful for relieving disorders related to increased stress, such as sleeplessness and lowered immunity. In another study, researchers from John Hopkins University found that a regular meditation practice helped ease psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, and pain related to stress.
Lastly, people who formed a daily meditation habit reported dramatic improvements in their relationships. They developed a heightened sense of empathy and compassion for those around them. They also became more sensitive to the feelings of others and learned to regulate their emotions so that they could approach other people's suffering with kindness and understanding.
How do you start a daily meditation habit?
We are creatures of habit. Anything that we do on a daily basis eventually becomes habitual. What set the tone for my daily practice was 22 days of consistent meditation practice. At first, it was difficult, but then my body and mind adapted to the routine.
The following techniques helped me start my meditation practice, and I’m sure they will help you too:
Set a dedicated time for meditation. It can be in the morning or late at night, but it should be at a time that you can commit to. I scheduled my meditations on a calendar to ensure that I stuck to a routine. Every time I meditated, I marked it as complete, giving me a sense of accomplishment, but also the motivation to show up again the next day. It’s almost like an alcoholic counting their sober days – the more days you complete, the less likely you are to break your streak.
Commit to just two minutes a day. You may be asking how two minutes a day can provide any of the benefits of meditation, but it’s not about the amount of time, it’s about starting a habit. A lot of people get put off meditating because they can’t commit to a 30-minute daily practice. What ends up happening is you quit before you’ve even begun because the mental inertia you have to overcome in convincing yourself to sit for so long can at times be too much to handle. I started with two minutes a day because I discovered I was more likely to stick with it if I chose a short, realistic goal.
Create a dedicated meditation space. Creating a dedicated meditation space can be as simple as clearing the corner of a room of clutter and setting down a pillow, sitting on a chair or finding a space in the garden. What is important is to remove all distractions so that your mind can focus. A noisy environment is a big deterrent to meditation, especially in the beginning, so ensure that you find a quiet space. After you have established a meditation habit, you will notice that you can meditate anywhere and anytime, and the noise will pass through you with no resistance.
Don’t expect it to be perfect. No one is good at meditation in the beginning. Your mind will wander, and you will get bored, and that’s totally normal. This is why we meditate – it’s training, and like any other new thing you try, you will mess up. In fact, just noticing that your mind has wandered is what meditation is all about. Every time you get distracted and notice it, you are moving forward. Little by little your mind will learn to focus.
Find an accountability partner. The same friend who recommended I started a meditation practice also became my accountability partner. Every day we checked in and encouraged one another on the meditation journey. I found this incredibly helpful and effective. Be careful not to let it become a competition – it should feel like a supportive and uplifting relationship.
I started this article by declaring myself an anxious person. What I’ve learned is that my identity isn’t quite that permanent. I’ve realized that I’m a person, who has anxious feelings at times. Thanks to meditation, I can operate with more emotional resilience than before. I am still at the very beginning of my journey, and I have a lot more practice to do, but it is just that much easier with a habit in place.
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+ References
- Goyal, M., S, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., . . . Sleicher, D. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357-368.
- Telfer, N. (2018). Meditation, stress, and the menstrual cycle. Retrieved 2021, from Clue: https://helloclue.com/articles/cycle-a-z/meditation-stress-your-cycle#:~:text=Mindfulness%20has%20also%20been%20shown,in%20people%20with%20severe%20PMS.
