What do you do when you want to practice mindfulness more, but you find it hard to be consistent? Below are a few ideas.
Anchor your mindfulness practice to another event such as waking up, eating lunch, returning from work, or going to bed.
Figure out how long and how often works for you. Sometimes establishing a big, new habit feels overwhelming. Commit to a goal that feels achievable. This might mean 5 minutes a day, 30 minutes twice a week, or an hour every weekend. You can always add more time if you wish.
Take a class. An 8-week mindfulness course is an excellent way to develop consistency and explore which practices feel most accessible to you.
Find accountability. Log on to Zoom and meditate with a friend. Find a meditation studio. Or attend a drop-in session.
Experiment with meditations of different lengths, depending on how much time you have. Sometimes it's easier to get started if you're only committing to 5-10 minutes. The meditation recordings I sell are 20-minutes long, but you can find shorter versions elsewhere.
Give up something (social media, TV, alcohol) to make room for mindfulness in your life.
Explore informal mindfulness. If you feel too busy to sit for 20 minutes, try incorporating informal mindfulness awareness into every day. Engage your senses. Spend time in nature. Tune into your body and breath. You can be mindful anywhere at any time.
