Yes, I hear it all the time…
"but… I'm too busy to meditate."
There are so many obstacles to meditating. Let's address the Time issue today.
As someone who’s been doing meditation daily for nearly a decade, I have seen a lot of benefits from this practice and because of that, I’ve told hundreds of people over the years how valuable this easy tool is in my life. Some show interest and maybe even give it a try, while others ask… “how much time will I need to meditate?”. In this question, I think the point is being missed. You see there is never enough time for self-care as preventative medicine, but somehow always time to find after crisis hits in our life.
I have to laugh because there are rumors of the Dalai Lama or an old zen master quote related to this question…
You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day.
Unless you're too busy, then you should sit for an hour.
As funny as this sounds it is totally true. You see meditation and mindfulness is a lifestyle these tools and ideas are part of a regular daily self-care routine similar to brushing your teeth or taking a shower. You do this stuff because it is good for your mental, emotional and even physical health.
If you ARE TOO BUSY in your life, this is a sign you need to STOP and take a break. Your body and your mind are like the smartphones we carry around, they need to be put down, go into shut down mode and recharge daily. If you do not recharge, you are moving closer and closer to burnout mode from work, or family, or friends, or drinking, or whatever else you are doing and/or spending your time at that is not related to self-care.
We ALL need this downtime and recharging time. The more consistent we are with this stuff, the better our body and minds perform like a well oiled machine and deliver the best results to our lives and to the world.
Here is an interesting podcast titled – Why Busy Is a Choice. You might like to hear Carol Bradley’s ideas about this whole business thing.
I am currently reading Awakening The Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das. This book talks about many things, but right now I’m going through the Noble Eightfold Path and this week reading about Right Mindfulness. It struck me funny as I was finishing this article that I cam across these thoughts bu Lama Surya Das –
“I frequently hear people say they don’t have time to meditate. I also often feel the same way. However, like most meditators I know that meditation gives back so much mental clarity and spaciousness that it actually adds time to the day. We feel less overwhelmed because we are more centered. We become more effective, and more relaxed.“
Boy that is gold! It is so true and although I said similar words above, I think he really drives the point home with it freeing up more productive time for us if we DO actually commit to our daily practice. Here are a few other thoughts on the HOW –
3 simple yet effective tips to fit meditation in a busy day
What would you do if you got three extra hours to your day? Would you spend more time at work? Perhaps rest some more, or be with loved ones. As I mentioned, like most people, you, too, may feel like there isn’t enough time to fit everything you want to accomplish into your days.
Unfortunately, like everyone else, you have a limited number of hours. Most people find it hard to meditate, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Unlike what you’ve been led to believe, you can incorporate meditating even with a busy schedule.
So, how can you meditate when you don’t have time for everything else in your life? Here are simple tips to effectively meditate and enjoy the myriad benefits of meditation.
1. Create your own time and routine
When talking of meditation, some people picture sitting in a powerful pose for an hour or two. This, however, doesn’t have to be the case. Even with a few minutes, you can meditate and center your life.
Meditation doesn’t have to take hours. Instead, even with a ten-minute routine or a ten-minute break, you can effectively meditate. To start off, plan your habit. Planning practice in the beginning of the day sets a great tone or build a solid foundation for your day. Try to slot a few minutes for meditation after you wake up.
With time, you’ll begin to realize the apparent benefits of meditating in your life, and ten minutes a day can be life changing.
2. Incorporate meditation in your daily activities
Even with a busy day, some tasks are more or less mandatory to most people. For example, even when you’re having a busy day, as I mentioned above, you won’t fail to brush your teeth, eat a meal, or take a shower. Why? Because these are important things for our health.
One simple way to continuously meditate is by linking it with another daily activity.
For instance, you can meditate when brushing your teeth or even when doing the dishes or taking a walk. This will help you remember to meditate as it ties with another daily activity.
Over time, you’ll likely notice you’re looking forward to meditating whenever you think about the activity. Moreover, this helps create consistency and rhythm.
3. Utilize technology as a meditation guide
Initially, meditators were advised to stay off their phones and other gadgets as these could easily distract you. Fortunately, today, there are numerous mobile applications and software to help you meditate.
If you’re on the phone most of the day, you can download a meditation app and set a daily reminder. Additionally, some meditation apps shut out any potential distractors and notifications.
Ultimately, it’s important to realize you don’t need free hours to start meditation. Start with what you have and gradually develop an effective system.
I use Insight Timer as my tool to track my practice and also to try new meditations or courses on the platform. I’d recommend this tool for tracking purposes. See the type of data I like to track via this tool. If you try Insight Timer, look me up and let’s connect!
So here's the deal… Meditation is only hard if you make it hard
We all should be able to carve out a minimum of 10-minutes a day to create a better lives for ourselves. The funny thing about this, is if you do, and you’re anything like me, you’ll become an evangelist singing the praises of this simple tool that is actually pretty easy to add to your daily routine. The benefits are certainly worth the effort.
Here are some articles related to similar topics related to meditation:
Want to try adding mindfulness and meditation to your self-care routine? Click below to get details about the Introduction to Mindfulness & Meditation mini-course. If you are new to meditation, this mini-course could be a great way to test this whole idea out in under an hour of commitment on your part. Give it a try!