How to Find Time to Meditate
I recently talked with a friend about how to find time to meditate, and this discussion comes up regularly in my courses. Even during the recent
It was difficult to fit all that we wanted to do into a day that still allowed time for sleep!
For many of us, meditation slides off to the side. It is not our top priority. We often allow ourselves to fall into a pattern of being stressed-out, overworked, or overwhelmed by a never-ending stream of information on current affairs. Whether we have a long-established meditation practice or are just beginning, it becomes easy to set aside meditation, that essential key to health and well-being.
Yet most of the people I know that meditate on a regular basis, including myself, find that health and well-being noticeably improve when life includes daily meditation. The latest science demonstrates that the quality of our health is woven into our mental outlook and our level of open-heartedness toward others.
Motivation and Volition
Catchy headlines and best-selling books make it sounds easy to implement habit change. Yet researchers actually know surprisingly little about what supports sustained behavior change. Ultimately I have found in my own life, as well as through talking with others, that developing a habit, such as daily meditation, boils down to motivation and volition.
Research shows that we need to have a reason (motivation) for implementing a new habit. In the case of meditation, perhaps we want to better manage the thoughts that occupy our mind, or we want to more widely open our hearts to ourselves and others, or deepen our spiritual connection to the divine within or a higher power.
But a reason isn’t enough. We also must have the discipline or willpower (volition) to act upon the motivation. Without willpower, it would be easy to waver. We know what we want to do; we just might not actually get it done.
Think about other aspects of your life. Can you envision instances where motivation and volition harmonize to create meaningful outcomes? Perhaps it manifests as healthy eating or exercise. You have the desire to eat healthfully and exercise regularly, but this requires consistent willpower to cook healthy meals or get outside or to the gym.
If-Then Planning
So how have I done it? How have I ensured that I take time every day to intentionally focus on my breath and/or body, be in the present moment, and begin to still my mind?
The single word answer is short and sweet, but not necessarily easy; planning.
Recently I was introduced to Peter Gollwitzer’s technique of if-then planning. This technique helps us narrow the gap between what we intend to do and what we actually do. The underlying theory is that we create a basic plan by
- deciding upon an intended action
- determining when and where we’ll manifest that action
- what we’ll do if we don’t get it done
This three-part process can apply to any habit you try to develop.
However, let’s use committing to a daily meditation practice as the model. We can even make it pretty easy at first, the build in more time if we need to. For example, make a commitment to spend 15 minutes meditating daily. Be willing to modify your plan as necessary. My if-then plan evolved to look something like this:
- If it’s before 6:30 in the morning, then I will meditate in my meditation room or outside for 15 minutes.
- If it is after 6:30 and I’ve moved onto other daily tasks, then I will take a break in the early afternoon and meditate in the meditation room or outside for 15 minutes.
- If the day has zoomed by without any meditation, then I will meditate for 15 minutes before starting dinner.
- If I haven’t meditated at all, then I will spend 15 minutes belly breathing or meditating in bed before sleeping.
- If I fall asleep before my 15-minute chime rings, then I will be kind to myself when I wake and begin the process again the next day.
I tend to resist formal structure in my life. I like to flow with the day as it unfolds. And, honestly, sometimes during my predetermined time to meditate, I just can’t get into it.
A few years back my meditation teacher of 25 years suggested that if you have a pre-determined time to meditate, and you just can’t settle into it, don’t force it. Go have a cup of tea, take a walk, do some work, then when you are ready, come back to the meditation. I practice this often, and I like that willingness to honor how I’m doing at the moment rather than forcing myself to stick to a particular time.
Everyone has a rhythm that resonates with them. Take the time to find yours. Perhaps you will do best with a structured time with one or two back up plans. Or, maybe you’re like me and prefer more flexibility.
About three to four days a week I meditate in the morning, often as the coffee brews. Usually two to three days a week I take a mid-afternoon break, or a pre-dinner preparation break to meditate. One or two days a week I meditate at the very end of the day before drifting off to sleep.
Play with creating an if-then plan for yourself. Try it for a week or two and tweak it as you need to. Always remember the motivation and volition behind why you meditate. Know that you are enhancing your health, mind, body, and spirit, even if you don’t notice a profound change in the immediate moment. Give yourself the freedom to be flexible. Be kind to yourself in the process.
Many other suggestions for how to find time to meditate are available, but I found I like the structure in combination with the ability to flow as the day unfolds that is presented in this if-then model.
For even more support, and motivation join my compassion meditation practice group.
