Ten Minutes of Mindfulness Meditation every Day is all it Takes to Begin a New Habit

4TH DECEMBER 2012

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This morning I realised that in the last few days my mind has been collecting Wrong Things. I didn’t know, except I’ve been feeling disgruntled and a bit out of sorts, as my life goes on in its usual perfectly good ways.

I’d sent a demanding email saying I hadn’t seen any figures for work I was paying for, I hadn’t organised anything to celebrate an important milestone and three days in four I’d ‘forgotten’ to do the short yoga/meditation routine I know from experience keeps me balanced.

I’m writing this now I’ve tuned into the Wrong Things, chosen to turn down the volume and to listen to more useful thoughts- and I’m happier as a result. But why does my mind- and mostly likely yours too- go down this track? It is so counter productive and yet at the time it just feels like the truth. In my case, that people can’t be trusted to do what they say, no one likes me and I’m lazy. ‘Thanks, mind!’ I told myself kindly when I picked up on it and these two small words can help you, too.

Mindfulness involves making a habit of tuning into our minds and the million stories they are telling us 24/7, naming them and then just letting them go. We all have a negativity bias. Our ancestors didn’t survive the ice age by sitting outside in the sun thinking ‘that shadow is a really interesting shape’, they survived it by going ‘danger!’ and heading back to the cave. Nowadays the ‘danger’ signals come into play in all manner of situations and particularly when we contemplate changes, big or small.

Ten minutes of mindfulness meditation every day is all it takes to begin a new habit to counter the negativity bias and it is as easy as concentrating on your breath. Next time I’ll show you how and in the meantime why not start paying attention to the Wrong Things your mind is telling you and thank your mind for them, in a kind of ‘thankyou and goodbye way.’ The results can only be positive.