Simple Meditation Techniques Can Improve your Health in Just a Few Minutes a Day

We’re constantly told that we need to work out and eat healthy, but let’s be real. A gym membership is not cheap, and when you’re a working mom it can be tough to find the hours in your day to actually go to the gym. Eating healthy can be expensive and time consuming.

But what if I told you that there’s a way to improve your health that is totally free and will only take 10-15 minutes of your time a day? You don’t need any special equipment, clothes or memberships. And it’s been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, slow your respiration, eliminate insomnia and reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Sounds pretty amazing, right?

Meditation is the free self-care activity that you can do right now to improve your health.

What are the benefits of meditation?

Not yet convinced? Studies have shown that meditation can lower blood pressure. It may also improve sleep and reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Meditation reduces the body’s production of the stress hormone, cortisol, which in turn can boost your immune system. (What parent of a kid in daycare doesn’t need that?) People who meditate are also better able to focus on tasks for longer periods of time. In one study, meditation was shown to reduce symptoms of depression by the same amount as anti-depressants.

The best thing about meditation? It’s virtually free. You can wear any old clothes you like. It can be performed almost anywhere that’s reasonably comfortable and quiet. It doesn’t take much time. If you’re so busy with work and family that you can only do one self-care activity, I’d argue that meditation should be it. There’s almost zero downside.

Are there different types of meditation?

There are actually many types of meditation that have different benefits. Mindful meditation is simple for beginners.  This type of meditation is defined by focus on a particular activity – typically your breathing. The focus could also be something active, like drinking a cup of tea or jogging. The key is to think about your focus activity. Your mind will wander, and that’s OK. In Mindfulness meditation, simply acknowledge the wandering and return your thoughts to your focus. Over time, you’ll get better at focusing on a particular task, and be able to focus for longer.

I’m Convinced! Now What Do I Do?

You can get started right now with just a few simple meditation techniques. Well, assuming your kids are asleep. You will need to some peace and quiet to meditate, so pick a time and carve out 10 minutes. That might be in the morning before everyone else is up. For me, it’s right before I go to bed, when my kids are almost guaranteed not to wake up. It’s not a huge commitment, but scheduling meditation will be a big step toward actually doing it.

Getting Started

Mindfulness meditation is very simple. All you need is yourself and a quiet space where you can sit comfortably. You can do this at home, but don’t overlook trying meditation in your office or a quiet conference room.

• Find somewhere comfortable to sit, and settle in. You might choose to lay down on a yoga mat or on your bed. Just make sure your body is in a comfortable position, and support your legs and neck if needed.
• Dim the lights if possible. It’s nice to have some light, but not much.
• Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Focus on your breathing. Notice everything about it.
• When your mind wanders (which it will), simply accept it and focus back on your breathing
• Finish when you feel done. I personally don’t like to set a timer, because it’s too jarring after meditating. Instead, I just meditate until I feel my body relax and my mind clear. I usually do about 15 minutes of yoga and meditation before bed.

Don’t be afraid to start small! Try meditating for just two minutes. Anyone can do anything for two minutes, right? The key is to be consistent. Meditate for two minutes every day for a week, and see how you feel at the end of the week. It might just convince you to find a little more time in your day for meditation!

If You Need More Help

If you feel like you want more guidance, but you can’t make the time to go to a class – turn on your phone! Now, phones usually aren’t associated with meditation, but in this case they could be just what you need. There are some amazing apps out there to help guide you through meditation. You can get started by simply downloading an app. Make sure you find the speaker’s voice pleasant and that the track is the right length of time for you. Check out these free five-star meditation apps, all available on iPhone and Android:

• Calm offers 3-minute to 25-minute guided meditations, as well as other meditation tools. There are plenty of free features, although a premium upgrade is available. The app has various tags for different types of meditations, helps you track your progress and even has a kids section.
• InsightTimer offers more than 9,000 guided meditations from different practitioners. This will allow you find someone whose style and voice you enjoy. You can listen to the guided mediations for free, as long as you’re online. To download and listen offline, you’ll need the paid subscription. The app allows you to filter the meditations by the duration, which is very helpful when you have a limited amount of time.
• Stop, Breathe & Think allows you to select various guided meditations by the issue you want to address, like stress, anxiety or sleep. Within each area, you can choose more specific guided mediation options, including different topics and session length. You can also choose different speakers when you upgrade to the premium option.

Try Meditation This Week!

Meditation is an amazing tool to calm the mind and body. It doesn’t take much time or money, and you can do it from anywhere. Try these simple meditation techniques for 2 minutes a day for a whole week and see how you feel when the week is over.

If you have someone in your life who could benefit from reducing stress, taming anxiety or sleeping better, don’t forget to share! Even better, enlist a meditation buddy to keep you accountable. After all, you have nothing to lose and so much to gain from incorporating meditation into your daily routine!