How To Fit Daily Meditation Into Your Busy Schedule
Living in the present moment is the way to live. And, this is certainly not a new concept to you. You already know that there are many benefits of daily meditation! (If you need to brush up on the exact details, allow us to help you out: Meditation and living mindfully has been shown–according to Psychology Today– to reduce stress, boost your immunity, reduce chronic pain, lower your blood pressure, help you to cope with difficult situations, reduce your risk of heart disease, and may even slow the progression of HIV. And, did we mention that people with a mindfulness or meditation practice are happier, more empathetic to others, more secure in who they are, more accepting of their weaknesses, have less conflict with their romantic partners, and are less prone to binge eating, attention problems, and depression! How’s that for a convincing argument?
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But the question is:
When’s the last time you meditated?
Meditation in America
According to the National Institute for Complementary and Integrative Health, only 18 million people practiced meditation. Only 18 million? Well, you might say, “That seems like a lot!” But, when you consider that equates to only 8.0% of U.S. adults taking advantage of this laundry list of benefits, the numbers are actually quite surprising.
Perhaps some people are skeptical. So, for the ease of our discussion, we’ll consider only those who believe in the benefits of mediation. Are they all meditating every day? The answer is, of course, no.
And their reasoning often is….they don’t have enough time.
Or, perhaps they’re simply not making meditation a priority.
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Reevaluate Your Priorities
We know that everyone has a very busy schedule. Between work and dinner and exercise and family, there’s little time for much else. Yet, you probably wouldn’t use the excuse of not having enough time when it comes to other areas of your life. For example, you make the time to pick your child up from school and to eat dinner and to celebrate your anniversary.
So, why not make meditation a priority? A strong and habitual regimen of self-care is just as important as caring for the other people in your life. Will your family suffer if you spend 20 minutes alone in a quiet room? Maybe…probably not, but even if they do, the above benefits show that mediation can make you a happier, calmer, more balanced wife/mother/husband/father/partner/you! And, isn’t that worth it?
A wise Zen saying advises:
“You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day; unless you are too busy, then you should sit for an hour.”
In other words, find the time. Do it every day. And, don’t skip a day…even if you only meditate for a single minute, just do it! Find moments of mindfulness in your day to connect your practice to your daily life. For more information on designing a daily meditation practice, follow our How To Meditate daily guide and unlock some very powerful medicine to soothe your soul and heal your body.
So the question is, when’s the last time you meditated? Or more importantly, how will you begin to incorporate a daily meditation practice into your busy schedule?