Life can get very stressful and overwhelming, working over 50 hours a week I needed to find an outlet for relaxation. I had a friend that recommended meditation. At first I was apprehensive because I like to make the most of my time, and I felt that meditation would set me behind in my morning routine. I decided to give it a try because I have never tried it before. I ended up making a goal: I will meditate every morning for one week straight. No excuses, no quitting. Read on for what I learned from meditating every morning—and whether or not I’ve stuck with it.
I benefited most from using a guided meditation, rather than doing it on my own. Headspace has been my saving grace throughout this experiment. The easy-to-use app has free and paid options, including meditation timers, courses, group meditations and more. Though I mostly stuck with the timed guided meditations, I did 10 minutes each morning.
For me, consistency has been totally key. I wake up at the same time every day, quickly make my bed and get started on my meditation. I put in my AirPods, queue up a guided meditation on my phone and close my eyes. I’m much more likely to actually do a meditation if I haven’t left my room and fully started my day.
Some mornings, I feel like a meditation expert; waking up earlier and doing something for myself and my mental health at the start of the day. Other mornings I feel like I’m just sitting on my bed with my eyes closed for 10 minutes, half-listening to a person with a soothing accent struggling to keep myself from falling back to sleep. THAT IS OK! You do not have to be perfect. Meditation is different for everyone, and taking the time to focus on your mental health is so important. I can definitely see meditation becoming a more regular part of my routine. Since my experiment I have continued meditation in the morning whether it is a full 10 minutes, or just a few minutes before I have to start my day.
The past year has been rough for everyone, and like many people, I've been trying different tools and activities to help me cope with everything going on in the world. I encourage you to try meditation as well!
Here are some free guided meditations on Youtube.
Meditation for Mindfulness
Meditation for Self Love
Meditation for Letting Go
