Why routine matters for beginner meditators
If you want to set a daily meditation habit as a beginner, what can be really helpful is to set a routine or schedule for when you are going to practise. But how do you go about setting a daily meditation habit? It is about trying to make a habit out of it — and that can be challenging, especially when it means carving out time for yourself in a busy world.
Setting a daily meditation habit: Why morning is the best time
Because of this, it is usually suggested to beginners that they do their practice first thing in the morning, before getting occupied and distracted by everything that needs to be done during the day. For example, if you usually wake up at 8am, try waking up 20 minutes earlier and meditating then. Although a challenging thing to do at first, this might be the best tip to start a daily meditation habit.
What happens when life gets in the way
Speaking from my own experience, this can be quite helpful. I usually do my mindfulness practice before I start my day, but sometimes this is difficult, and I decide to do it later instead.
When this happens, I often forget to do my formal mindfulness meditation practice — and not out of voluntary forgetting, but genuine forgetfulness. Why? Because I become so busy with tasks that I do not think about it again until I am going to sleep or waking up the next morning. This happens because it is hard to shift out of “automatic pilot” and away from our daily tasks when we are consciously engaged in them, partly also due to habit. I must confess that this still happens to me today, even though I have created a schedule for myself to practise every morning.
What is essential, when this happens, is not to beat yourself up. Instead, approach it as a matter of fact, with kindness and compassion towards yourself — and either do a short five-minute mindfulness meditation there and then, or set an intention to continue and do it the following morning. What is also important to remember as a beginner is not to give up. Setting a routine and making it a habit takes time, patience, and persistence.
How long does it actually take to form a habit?
A seminal study by Lally et al. (2012) looked into exactly this question. The study recruited 96 participants to examine how long it took for them to develop a sense of automaticity with a new behaviour over a period of 12 weeks.
Participants were asked to commit to a new behaviour for the duration of the study and, each day, record whether or not they had done it and how automatic it felt. Overall, participants chose simple, straightforward habits like “drinking a bottle of water with lunch.” Others chose something more demanding — such as going for a 15-minute jog or committing to regular physical exercise. The latter could be considered comparable to meditation, since both require a level of ongoing commitment.
After 12 weeks, Lally et al. (2012) analysed the data to determine how long, on average, it took each person to go from starting a new behaviour to performing it regularly with a degree of automaticity. They found that it sometimes takes more than two months before a new behaviour becomes automatic — approximately 66 days on average.
The researchers also observed that this varies considerably from person to person, depending on the behaviour, the individual, and their circumstances. In fact, the study found that the range spans anywhere from 18 to 254 days for people to form a new habit.
In other words, if you are new to meditation, it is important to set your expectations realistically. The truth is that, according to the study’s findings, it will probably take you somewhere between two and eight months to build a new behaviour into your life.
Missing a session? Don’t be hard on yourself
Interestingly, Lally et al. (2012) also found that missing one opportunity does not prevent habit formation — but missing a whole week’s worth significantly reduces the likelihood of future performance and hinders habit acquisition. They also found that missing an occasion early in the process was no worse than missing one later on.
In other words, it does not really matter if you miss your daily meditation habit once in a while. What matters is how you respond when it happens. Approach it with kindness and compassion towards yourself, and remember: building a better daily meditation habit is not an all-or-nothing process.
What if mornings don’t work for you?
If practising first thing in the morning is not possible for you, do not worry. It is about what works for you to build a daily meditation habit. Look at your schedule and find a time during the day when you can set aside a few minutes without being disturbed — then build your routine around that daily meditation habit. The right time is the one that is most sustainable for your life.
Key takeaways
Establishing a consistent meditation routine can be challenging for beginners, especially in a busy world full of distractions. However, with some planning and commitment, it is possible to develop a regular practice. One helpful strategy is to practise first thing in the morning. Be patient and persistent, even if you miss a session now and then, and approach any setbacks with kindness and self-compassion. It takes time and effort to form a new habit — and that is entirely normal.
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Bibliography
Choden, & Regan-Addis, H. (2018). Mindfulness-based living course. New Alresford: John Hunt Publishing.
Lally, P., Van Jaarsveld, C. H., Potts, H. W., & Wardle, J. (2012). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 998–1009. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674
Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M., & Teasdale, J. D. (2012). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guildford Publications.
Wolf, C., & Serpa, J. G. (2015). A clinician’s guide to teaching mindfulness: The comprehensive session-by-session program for mental health professionals and healthcare providers. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.