10 tips that will help you find and defend your meditation time

1. Start early

Try and meditate first thing in the morning if possible. This will ensure that it gets done and will melt away any feelings of tiredness, setting you on track for a mindful day.

2. Prioritize

If a morning meditation isn’t your thing, make sure to prioritize it at another time during the day. Remind yourself that nothing is more important than the health of your mind.

3. Keep it familiar

Thinking "same time, same place" will help you turn this new practice into a fully established habit.

1. Start early

Try and meditate first thing in the morning if possible. This will ensure that it gets done and will melt away any feelings of tiredness, setting you on track for a mindful day.

2. Prioritize

If a morning meditation isn’t your thing, make sure to prioritize it at another time during the day. Remind yourself that nothing is more important than the health of your mind.

3. Keep it familiar

Thinking "same time, same place" will help you turn this new practice into a fully established habit.

4. Relate it to something else

It might help to integrate your meditation practice into a well established routine or activity. Think ‘brush teeth, then meditate’ or ‘meditate, then tea’. In this day and age, even a social media addiction can be a good catalyst. Think "check Twitter, then meditate" (or vice versa). And hey, why not follow us on Instagram and Facebook while you’re at it?

5. Flexibility

Be prepared to be flexible with your routine – not every day will look the same, which might mean you have to move your meditation to a different place or time. Don’t use this as an excuse to skip it altogether.

6. Be less judgmental

Try not to judge your meditation too much. There can often be a tendency to think you are "bad" or "good" at meditation. In reality, there’s no such thing. If you understand the long term purpose of your practice, this will never be a problem.

7. Remind yourself of the benefits

After each session, make sure you take a moment to notice how you feel – physically, emotionally and mentally. As soon as you start establishing a connection between your meditation practice and feeling better, the easier it will be to sit down each day and maintain and consistent practice.

8. "Excuse book"

If you decide not to meditate one day, write your reasoning on a piece of paper. As soon as you see the excuse written down, you’ll be reminded of how important the health of your mind really is.

9. Buddy up

Try to get a friend involved. You can select up to five buddies on our app’s Buddy page, or under the ‘More’ section of your ‘My Headspace.’ You don’t have to meditate at the same time, but you can track each other’s Headspace journey, monitor each other’s progress and give an encouraging nudge to strengthen each other’s commitment.

10. Manage your expectations

Daily meditation is a lifelong skill, not a quick fix solution. While you might see some immediate benefits, others might take longer to appear. Be sure you focus on just taking each day as it comes.

4. Relate it to something else

It might help to integrate your meditation practice into a well-established routine or activity. Think 'brush teeth, then meditate’ or ‘meditate, then tea’. In this day and age, even a social media addiction can be a good catalyst. Think 'check Twitter, then meditate', or vice versa. (And hey, why not follow us on Instagram and Facebook while you’re at it?)

5. Flexibility

Be prepared to be flexible with your routine. Not every day will look the same, which might mean you have to move your meditation to a different place or time. Don’t use this as an excuse to skip it altogether.

6. Be less judgmental

Try not to judge your meditation too much. There can often be a tendency to think you are "bad" or "good" at meditation. In reality, there’s no such thing. If you understand the long term purpose of your practice, this will never be a problem.

Read more: 9 simple ways to make meditation a daily habit

7. Remind yourself of the benefits

After each session, make sure you take a moment to notice how you feel—physically, emotionally, and mentally. As soon as you start establishing a connection between your meditation practice and feeling better, the easier it will be to sit down each day and maintain and consistent practice.

8. "Excuse book"

If you decide not to meditate one day, write your reasoning on a piece of paper. As soon as you see the excuse written down, you’ll be reminded of how important the health of your mind really is.

9. Buddy up

Try to get a friend involved. You can select up to five buddies on our app’s Buddy page, or under the ‘More’ section of your ‘My Headspace.’ You don’t have to meditate at the same time, but you can track each other’s Headspace journey, monitor each other’s progress and give an encouraging nudge to strengthen each other’s commitment.

10. Manage your expectations

Daily meditation is a lifelong skill, not a quick fix solution. While you might see some immediate benefits, others might take longer to appear. Be sure you focus on just taking each day as it comes.