In January 2022 I set the intention to meditate every day for the whole year. I had already been meditating using Headspace (inconsistently) since 2021. But I’d only meditate for a couple of minutes every few weeks. The consistency just wasn’t there, and I was feeling frustrated because I wasn’t making much progress.
If you don’t have time to meditate for twenty minutes every day, you should meditate for forty minutes every day.
Zen Proverb
So, on January 1, 2022 I rolled out of bed, opened Headspace, and completed one of their 3-minute meditations. Over the next few weeks, each morning, I would do just that: meditate for 3 or 5 minutes right after I got out of bed, before email or social media could consume my attention. I found that, if I waited until later in the day, I’d make excuses for why I didn’t have the time to meditate. Over the course of many weeks I built up to 10-15 minutes of daily meditation, and that’s when I started to really notice the beneficial improvements to my focus, habit formation, and overall happiness.
What 365 days of meditation taught me
Meditating for 365 days in a row taught me about my own mind. I learned that my untrained mind was a bustling hub of activity that had a lot to say about:
- Things I had said or should have said
- What I did or didn’t do in the past
- My to do list
- Future stresses
Meditation brought me firmly into the present. When thoughts and emotions would come up, I learned to acknowledge them and return to my breath. The longer (10+ minutes) I meditated, the more present I felt throughout my day.
Meditation wasn’t just sitting down on a cushion and closing my eyes. Meditation also showed up for me as mindful activity like journaling, which cleared out all my zooming thoughts, and running and yoga, which tired my body so I could pay attention to the sun on my face, the birds singing, and the rhythm of my breath.
After I engaged in a mindful activity, I always felt more centered, more like me.
Over the course of the last year meditation focused my mind and helped me be more productive. A few weeks ago I was overwhelmed at work, and I was bouncing around from project to project, making some progress on everything, but checking nothing completely off my to-do list. So, I closed my laptop and meditated for 10 minutes. I sat in the sunshine and listened to my breath. My thoughts were ALL OVER the place. But I brought my attention back to my breath each time I noticed I was thinking. At the end of the 10 minutes, I returned to work and checked my top priority item off my list within 30 minutes. Meditation cut through the noise and let me accomplish what I needed to accomplish.
Positive effects of meditation
- The benefits of meditation (clarity, calm, focus) extended into the rest of my life. After meditating I had better focus at work and was more present in my daily life.
- When I meditated first thing in the morning, my brain felt more clear and slower to anger. I was more awake and felt more alive. I was aware of my mood and my needs and could act on them. I could choose how I reacted to stressful situations.
- Meditation quieted my worries, if even for a few minutes. It was (and still is) a cooling bath for my over-active and reactive brain.
But don’t just take it from me, research studies have shown that meditating for just 10 minutes per day could decrease anxiety, improve overall mood, and increase your kindness towards yourself and others.
How can you start your own meditation practice?
- Right after you wake up, find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed.
- In your quiet spot, sit on something comfy, like a pillow or folded blanket. Or lay down on a soft but supportive surface with your knees bent and tented together, your feet wide.
- Start guided: A guided meditation app or video like this one can teach you how to meditate and are great places to start!
- Start short: Aim to meditate for 3 minutes each morning and work your way up to 10+ minutes over the course of weeks or months.
- Be consistent. Whatever time works best for you, fit your meditation in at that time every day. Like any habit or daily routine, consistency is key. >> For more on forming habits, check out my article on how to pick and stick with your New Years resolutions habits.
These are my go-to meditation resources to help you get started:
- My 10 min guided meditation video
- The Headspace app: You can do a free trial to test it out for yourself or ask a friend who already uses Headspace – like me – to send you a referral code for a free month.
- The 10 Percent Happier podcast
Have you ever tried meditating? Tell me about your experience in the comments section.
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I’m Sarah, a travel and wellness entrepreneur based in the US.
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