How To Build A Meditation Routine - And Stick To It
Building a meditation routine is no mean feat. Like with any habit, it requires focus, dedication and time. But, that doesn't mean you have to find an extra hour in your day to dedicate to your wellbeing practice.
As a mindfulness meditation teacher, you might be surprised to hear that I don’t encourage all my clients to wake up early and meditate in the morning. In reality, I think it’s much better if you can find a way to incorporate meditation and mindfulness into your life in a way that feels realistic for you.
So, whether you’re a time-poor parent, a busy commuter or just struggle to shake yourself in the morning (I’m with you!), here are my top tips for building a meditation routine that, most importantly, works for you.
Spoiler: It doesn't involve waking up at the crack of dawn, sitting cross legged or chanting - unless you want to, of course...
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Fit it around your lifestyle
Meditation doesn't have to be complicated - it's all about finding a way to fit it into your life. Finding a way to slot it into your existing routine will make it much easier to build a mindfulness habit and stick to it. To get started, try embracing habit stacking, a technique coined by S. J. Scott in the 2014 book Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less that has since appeared in James Clear's bestselling book Atomic Habits.
The idea is that by taking advantage of a habit you already have, for example brushing your teeth every morning, and stacking a new habit on top of this existing routine you'll develop the necessary connections within the brain that are needed to form a new habit.
Always make a cup of coffee in the morning? Do the box breathing exercise or a body scan while you wait for the kettle to boil. Commute to work every day? Make the most of your journey by doing a guided visualisation en route. Have a bath at night? Indulge in a few more minutes of relaxation post-soak and practice breathwork.
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Find a technique you love
Finding a practice you love and genuinely connect with is key to creating a meditation habit. As a mindfulness meditation practitioner, I've worked with clients who have tried a few visualisation meditations, found them difficult and gave up before they could really reap the benefits of this practice. Once we've started working together, they've discovered that they don't connect with visualisations but they actually really enjoy short breathing exercises and body scan meditations.
So, don't be afraid to experiment. Don't give up if you find a particular technique challenging, just try another. For beginners, I suggest starting with breathing exercises, body scans and simple visualisations before moving onto more complex visualisations, contemplation and loving-kindness practices.
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Understand you'll never master it
One of the biggest misconceptions about meditation is that it can be mastered. In reality, as cheesy as it sounds, it really is a journey. Whether you're a total beginner or have been meditating for years, you will find some practices and some days more challenging than others. We are human, after all. The key to moving past those days and overcoming those challenges is accepting them without judgement.
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Meditate with others
Meditating with the support of a teacher, whether in individual 1-1 classes or group sessions, is an excellent way to learn new techniques. A certified practitioner can support you in finding a practice you love and building a routine that fits with your lifestyle.
Joining group meditation sessions, either in-person or online, are also a great way to meet like-minded people. Check your local area for meditation classes near you, or if you're London based join me at a Finding Quiet class or event in 2023
Meet The Expert
Ciara McGinley
Ciara is a wellbeing journalist, meditation practitioner and the founder of Finding Quiet. She graduated with the British School of Meditation in 2021 before launching Finding Quiet, where she hosts meditation circles and luxury mini retreats in London.
Ciara also writes about health and wellbeing for a range of lifestyle magazines, including Red, Women's Health, Stylist, Marie Claire and Woman & Home.
