WELLBEING

Can meditating for five minutes make you feel better?

21 December, 2021 . 0

There’s increasing evidence that meditation is good for you. But can you reap the rewards without devoting hours of your time to it?

Research continues to show the benefits of meditating.

From fighting stress and insomnia to lowering blood pressure and helping you make fewer mistakes, meditation is worth doing.

One explanation for meditation’s impact is that it’s a way to practise mindfulness.

According to Smiling Mind, mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity and without judgement.

But the question is, do you need to devote a chunk of your day to reap the rewards of meditating or will five minutes do the trick?

Why short meditations are effective

Meditation Australia president Asher Packman says we need to remember the purpose of mindfulness is not to ‘get’ anywhere, but to simply be present.

“Therefore, short meditations can be just as powerful as longer practices, since deep awareness can be reached in any given moment,” Asher says.

“Short practices offer a quick and reliable nervous system reset and can improve commitment to practice as they’re more achievable in our busy lifestyles.”

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The power of a meditation app

An Australian study published in September 2021 investigated whether hospital emergency department staff could reduce their stress levels by using a meditation app. The study found they could.

Study author Grace Xu, from the University of Queensland, says the findings showed between two and 10 minutes of mindfulness practice multiple times a week helped to reduce stress and burnout and promote wellbeing in staff.

“Participants said that they felt more at peace, better rested and more focused on their work,” Grace says.

Participants could use the app anywhere anytime, which was “particularly useful during the pandemic when isolation was required”.

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Making meditation work for you

If you’d like meditation to be part of your routine, here are some things to keep in mind to get the most out of it.

Just begin.

“I like to quote William Wordsworth: ‘To begin, begin’,” Asher says.

“It’s simply a matter of starting, whether it’s taking three or four conscious breaths or doing a short, guided meditation.”

Smiling Mind’s free mindfulness app is a great resource, but you can also find a meditation teacher near you by visiting Meditation Australia’s website.

Start small.

While small bursts of meditation can deliver genuine health benefits, small bursts are also more achievable for most people.

“It’s a matter of finding a way to build the practice into your day in an achievable fashion, not setting yourself a goal which is too difficult to attain,” Asher says.

“Start with a time that you know you can easily achieve and build from there if you feel the need to increase duration.”

Try to do it regularly.

To enjoy the full benefits of meditation, Asher says it’s less about the time spent on an individual meditation session and more about how often you do it.

“Without a doubt, that’s true. Consistency is the key here.”