Over the past few years, I have found myself becoming much more focused on mindfulness. My busy lifestyle, with both work and home combined, means that the fast pace can sometimes take over.
Mindfulness and activities related to being more mindful have transformed my lifestyle and allowed me to be more present, more aware and more centred.
One huge change I made to my lifestyle was introducing daily meditation.
I have found that meditation has so many valuable benefits and has definitely changed the way I think, operate and ultimately, live. At first, I found it a little difficult to get in to but I’ve definitely found some ways that work and that helped me to form a habit and routine that works.
1. Just Do It
Meditation is something that anyone can do at anytime and anywhere. Don’t think too much about it or trying to be perfect at it. Just do it.
2. Make It Habitual
An easy meditation tip is to make meditation a habit by doing it often on a regular basis—daily if possible. Meditating once and then not again for a few weeks, and then for a few days, and then not at all, well, kind of defeats the object! Put a ‘rock in your diary’ as they say, and stick to it!
3. Don’t Overthink It
Don’t worry so much about whether you’re doing it right or not. If you want to get an idea of how to do it, there’s loads of content on YouTube that can point you in the right direction.
4. Short & Sweet Stints
One of the best meditation tips is to commit to short meditation sessions and then gradually increase. Don’t try and sit for hours on end. Even just starting off with 5 minutes each morning or evening and building up as you become more attuned to your routine will help.
5. Meditate First Thing
The early bird catches the worm, and the same applies when meditating. Start your day by meditating first thing in the morning to start your day the right way; feeling clear-minded and refreshed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s effective in the evening too but starting as you mean to go on definitely doesn’t hurt!
6. Don’t Make It An Achievement
It’s hard to predict how your mindfulness practice will evolve. Don’t put pressure on yourself to ‘get better’ or to ‘nail it’. Just go with the flow and feel it as you go.
7. Be Real
Meditation is not magic—it doesn’t remove all the difficulties from our lives and doesn’t guarantee we will be successful. What it does do is ensure that, along the way, you have clarity, a clear mind, and more mindful approach to all that you do.
“The resiliency we gain from meditation is what enables us to bounce back from the lows”
Do you have any advice for those beginning to meditate? Let me know!
