A few semesters ago, I had a professor who would start every Thursday morning class with a three minute meditation on the app, Headspace.
She intended to help us cultivate mindfulness, and generally get our brains ready for the day. It was an 8 a.m. class, so I definitely could use all the help I could get. Since then, I’ve had others in my life suggest I try meditation regularly, so I decided to give it a shot last November.
Just recently, I celebrated three months of daily meditation. Sticking with it for this long was a huge win for me. This milestone gave me a chance to reflect and see how daily mindfulness has changed my life and what I have learned from it.
- I Learned How to Stop and Just Breathe.
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As simple as it sounds, I realized that so often during my days between classes and work and generally being alive during a global pandemic, it feels like I never stop to catch my breath. Although meditation does not usually start off as easy or natural to most people, with time you grow to improve and notice the difference it can make. Sometimes I just stop and take a few deep breaths, which completely turns my day around.
- Practicing Mindfulness Changed the Way I Exercise.
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One of the most surprising things I noticed after about a month of mediation was that it completely transformed my yoga practice. Before practicing mindfulness, I struggled with the flow and breathing aspect of yoga. Now, whenever I practice yoga, it feels more natural and fun than ever before.
- It’s Become Easier for me to Pause and Slow Down.
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Before my days included daily meditation, I felt like I was always scrambling from one task to the next, frazzled and tired. It’s hard to put into words if you don’t meditate, but I find myself feeling so much more at peace after I take the time to pause each day. Instead of feeling like I needed to speed walk from one place to another, I take my time and try to enjoy the world around me.
- Daily Meditation has Helped me with Self-discipline.
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When it comes to meditation, no one is going to make you stop and do it. But by choosing to implement my Headspace routine as a daily habit, I have felt empowered. I knew then that if I could choose to meditate every day for a few minutes, I could introduce other healthy habits into my daily routine as well.
- I Started to Prioritize my Mental Health.
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The effects daily meditation had on my mental health made me see the value in taking the time to take care of myself. Sometimes I use meditation as a response to stress, and other times it’s more of a proactive form of self-care. In both scenarios, it has benefited my mental and emotional health. This all helped me see that the better I am doing mentally, and emotionally the better I can be as a friend, student, and coworker.