Consistency is the key to making any activity a habit. Many instructors tell you to practice meditation every day to make it second nature. I also agree that practicing everyday in the beginning is important. You give yourself good momentum. Now on days that I skip meditation, I feel guilty. I make it my priority the next day. And that doesn't just go for meditation but all the habits I am trying to build.
Tips
•Start small
Try meditating for 10 minutes everyday for the first week or two of your practice. Do research and find a technique that you are comfortable with. This will ease you into building your meditation habit.
•Find your default technique(s)
Find the technique that is easiest for you to remember and let that be your default technique. There will be days when you don't have time to research a new meditation method and you'll have to stick with what you know to get it done.
(When I first started I liked the "Do Nothing" Technique that I heard about from a YouTube channel called Actualized.org. It is pretty simple to do and focuses on letting go of the need to be in control.)
•Change it up
There will be days when you get bored with meditating and just thinking about it makes you cringe. Those are the days you could try changing techniques or locations. Meditate at the park or listen to a guided meditation. There are meditation centers where you can learn from instructors and meet new people.
•Challenge Yourself
It didn't take long for me to feel like 10 minutes was nothing and that I could go longer and I wanted to. Hopefully you will experience the same and try to aim for 20 minutes and so on. Currently I meditate for thirty minutes a day. I have been mixing it up lately and meditating for 20 minutes and free writing for 10 minutes. That has connected my meditation habit with my writing habit and I believe helping me improve in both areas.
•Keep a log
This one is optional, but I feel like keeping a log of my progress has really helped me to stick with meditation. Reading through entries allows me to notice thought patterns and work on recurring struggles.
YOU ARE READING
Meditations
Non-FictionI started to meditate to help with my anxiety, but as I learned more about meditation, it opened my mind up in unexpected ways. This book is a simple guide to starting your meditation practice and a log of my spiritual journey.
