You probably already have a morning routine, even if you don’t know it. Most people fall into natural habit patterns and do more or less the same thing when they wake up in the morning. Sometimes, those habits are good—sometimes, they’re not.
If you wake up and immediately check your phone, then you’re probably not making the most of your mornings. Creating a routine that’s centered on you and your needs, rather than the outside world, is generally the best way to start your day.
Meditation is one of the best habits you can add to your morning routine. It’s easy to do, requires no equipment, and provides numerous benefits. Here are some reasons to add a 10-minute meditation session to your morning routine.
Increase Your Attention Span
We’re connected 24/7 to a world that competes for our attention. Our brains can’t keep up with all the noise and it can be difficult to focus with so much information constantly coming at us. One good reason to include meditation in your daily routine is to consciously train your brain to focus.
Meditation requires you to block out all distractions. It forces you to stay in the moment. It allows your brain a few minutes of peace and quiet.
We all need that chance to rest and recharge. But meditation is also challenging. If you’re used to switching between tasks and distractions all day long, you’ll find it difficult to focus on the present and on your breathing at first. But the more you meditate, the better your focus will become.
Meditation and Mindfulness Can Change the Brain
Meditation is extremely simple—which is probably one of the reasons it’s so powerful. The practice is so powerful, in fact, that it can actually change the brain.
One study took fMRI scans of participants before they learned to meditate and two months later, after they had been meditating regularly. The scans showed that activity in the amygdala portion of the brain had changed by the end of the study, even though the participants were not actively meditating at the time of the scan.
Study after study shows that meditation has many benefits, with no downside. This is a powerful argument for consistent meditation practice. Just a few minutes a day can actually change your brain for the better!
Decrease Stress and Anxiety
Our hectic modern lives are incredibly stressful. We encounter stressful situations all day long, whether we’re at work, trying to get dinner on the table while the kids are fighting, or standing in line at the post office. Stress and anxiety take their toll on both our mental and physical health.
We could all use a little less stress in our lives. Meditation is a simple tool for reducing the impact of stress and anxiety as we go about our daily activities.
While it’s not realistic to completely eliminate stress and anxiety, meditation is one tool you can use to decrease their influence on your health and well-being. Most people can spare 10 minutes in the morning to make their day a little less challenging.
Meditation can also be used to supplement mental health treatment plans. Many people take medication for anxiety and other mental health conditions, but meditation might offer enough stress reduction to eliminate the need for pharmaceuticals in some situations. Even if you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and you’re currently taking medication, meditation can supplement your prescription and help you feel calmer.
Boost Patience
Life often requires a lot of patience, which can be in short supply when we’re feeling rushed or anxious. If you feel that you often lose your patience with your loved ones, pets, or strangers, then meditation might be a good addition to your morning routine. By focusing on mindfulness for a few minutes, you’ll feel more relaxed and at peace with the present moment.
Meditation takes practice and patience. In the beginning, even 10 minutes can feel like a very long time. You might start to fidget and feel impatient after only a minute or two. But with consistent practice, you’ll learn to focus and develop more patience that you can apply to your daily life.
You won’t fix all your problems with a daily morning meditation. But you can improve many different areas of your life if you dedicate yourself to spending just 10 minutes each morning on your practice. There are so many benefits of meditation that it’s hard to find a reason not to give it a try!