A Daily 5-Minute Meditation Can Improve Your Health

By Stepy Kamei

Adding little habits of self-care into your daily routine may not seem like a big deal, but health experts agree that people who take the time to care for themselves tend to experience a wealth of benefits to their overall well-being. Meditation in particular is an extremely beneficial practice which serves to reduce stress, improve sleep, and promote focus and productivity. Still, you may be thinking to yourself that you just don't have time to sit and meditate. Fortunately, you can gain the many benefits of meditation even in just five minutes. Keep on reading to learn how you can incorporate a five-minute meditation into your daily routine.

Getting Started (Is Easy)

If you've never meditated before, or you have tried it in the past but felt it didn't work for you, you might want to dip your toe in the water by using a guided meditation. A guided meditation will make it easier to simply get into a comfortable position and absorb what is being said. This way, you don't have to worry about "doing" anything during the meditation. You can find many helpful guided meditations for free online or in the form of podcasts. Simply get into a comfortable position and listen as a calm voice guides you gently through the meditation.

Keep in mind that even just five minutes can be enough to get you into a more relaxed and focused state of mind. You don't necessarily need to devote a full hour to this practice if you don't have that kind of time.

How Can a Short Meditation Benefit Your Health?

Health experts and scientists alike have found that people who practice meditation regularly enjoy a wide range of benefits to their overall well-being. Meditation has been found to improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, regulate digestion, boost mood, and even lower blood pressure levels.

Regardless of what your next few days looks like, it's in your best interest to give a short meditation a try! Tonight before you fall asleep, think about the next day's schedule, and figure out where you can fit in your new habit -- maybe right after you wake up, or after breakfast, or before bed in the evening? Then, be sure to just make five minutes to take care of yourself and see how this new habit helps you feel calmer and more relaxed.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in College Station, Tex.