Since October of 2021, I have been on a journey to meditate daily, even if it is only for 5 minutes. Now I won’t lie, I obviously missed some days, even weeks. But I don’t let skipping a day or two discourage me from practicing meditation the next day.
I have found at least for me personally, that meditating before bed helps me not be as likely to skip. If I am running late in the morning, or have an early class I am probably not going to meditate for the sake of time. But before bed is my time to unwind and since I am about to get ready to sleep anyway, what is 5-10 minutes of meditation added to that? So why is meditation important?
It Helps You Put Your Phone Down Before Bed.
I am a big believer in putting your phone and other electronics down at least ten minutes before you are actively trying to sleep. And if this is hard for you, try meditating, you kill two birds with one stone. When I started putting my phone down before bed I struggled because I couldn’t find a way to shut my mind off. I couldn’t pick up a book either because just reading 3 chapters turns into finishing the book for me. Meditating helped because I was able to reduce my racing thoughts without absent-minded scrolling through TikTok.
Clears your Mind Before Bed
Whenever I finally lay down for the night is the time my brain decides to bring up all my past embarrassing moments from my life, have new ideas, or just replay the day. Meditating has helped me silence those thoughts and prepare myself for a restful night’s sleep.
Get those Affirmations in
Another benefit to meditating daily is you also can get your daily affirmations in. For me, when I first started meditating, and even still, my mind starts to wander after a bit. By repeating affirmations, I can keep my mind on track. Affirmations should be tailored to you and your goals. But some generic, yet good ones, are things like; I am safe, I am loved, I am confident. Your affirmations can also be longer, it is up to you.
These are just a couple of the benefits of meditating daily. I like using guided meditations because on top of saying affirmations, having that guide ensures my focus. This one is particularly for sleep but there are so many out there.