After 30 days of meditating every day for at least 5 minutes, I cannot imagine going a day without it! For years, I’ve been attempting to build a meditation routine (YEARS!). I finally committed to it when I found a few resources that made it easier for me. And, let’s be clear, I had decided that I was committed to holding myself to task; and I believed that I could and would do it. (Yes, it’s important to believe in yourself!)
Having an accountability partner was key. I, thankfully, have my tiny house panther who masquerades as a house cat by my side, reminding me to get thyself to thine pillow.
Truly, setting up a way to make yourself accountable to your goal is crucial to meeting it.
I decided to use a couple of techniques to help me build this into my daily routine:
1~Determine a Trigger: I found a time of day that worked for me (morning, at the start of my day). It fit into the routine actions I do to start my day and especially improved my routine.
2~As someone who likes to track things, I physically wrote out the dates and days (1/30; 2/30; etc) and tallied up if I meditated and how many times each day. (I found myself meditating several times a day when I had learned the benefits it has in handling stress).
Most importantly, I stopped judging myself for needing to do it a certain way (I prefer guided meditation). For whatever reason, I had some belief that meditating meant being able to immediately tune out the external and focus on the internal.
The reality is that meditation begins with my breath and with slowing down. I take note of what I see, hear, taste, smell, touch. And it begins with just a few minutes at a time. I started with 5, but you also could start with 2 or 3.
After 30 days, now I allow myself flexibility on the weekends as to when I do it. But the reality is that my body and mind ask for it when I don’t do it within the first few hours. I feel so much more balanced and clear on how I will handle my day after I meditate.
As someone who loves spending quality time with Mother Nature, I also find it incredibly soothing (and naturally simple) to meditate when I solo hike.
Most days, though, I’m on my floor. Maybe with my accountability partner, maybe on my yoga mat or pillow. Just me and my breath.
In stressful times or unstressful times, meditation is self-care and helps us connect with ourselves.
If you’re curious about the tools I used, send me a shout-out on the contact page! I’m not affiliated with any of the free tools I used and am always happy to provide resources to those interested.
