How a 5-Minute Mediation Can Help Your Happiness and Well-Being?

Meditation is so good for the mind and the body. The research has proved this time and time again. When I started meditating, I didn’t know what I was doing or if it was working. Eventually, as time went by, I started to see subtle changes in my mind and body.

Like I could breathe better when I ran or I was calmer with my children. There were some definite changes there that came after months of practice, even more so after years of practice. Of course, I was also writing and journaling as well, so this puts my personal growth into hyperdrive.

If you are reading this article, I am going to assume that you are looking to change something in your life. Perhaps you want to have less stress, find inner peace, or maybe you just want to be happy. Whatever your story is, I hope I can impart some wisdom on your happiness journey from my personal experience. As Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi stated in his book: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

“…success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue…as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.”

In efforts to help you discover your “greater self”, here is a meditation exercise. It is one of the first meditations that I started with and if you can commit to doing it for 30 days, you might notice some changes. Check out and see what happens.

1. Find a comfortable place to sit or lay where you won’t be interrupted for about 5-15 minutes or more.

2. Set an intention for your practice. What do hope to achieve through your meditation practice today (e.g. inner peace, calmness, letting go, etc.)?

3. Rub your hands together quickly to generate some heat in your hands for 30 seconds.

4. Then place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly.

5. Notice your breathing patterns as you inhale and exhale.

6. When any thoughts arise, let them float by like clouds in the sky.

7. Next, if you are sitting, rest your hands on your laps with the palms up holding your thumb and index finger together. If you are laying down, just rest your hands to the side with the palms up.

8. Begin counting your breaths, inhaling 1, exhaling 2, and so on.

9. If you get distracted come back to the breath and start again.

10. Do this for 5-10 minutes.

11. Close the meditation by reflecting on your intention.

12. Journal about your experience:

What did you notice about your practice?

Were you able to commit to your intention, if not why?

What did you learn about yourself today? 

If you are new to meditation, 5 minutes may seem like a long time. You may experience a flood of thoughts and judgment as you meditate. This is normal. Training your brain to come back to the breath is the key and it might take some practice.

Be kind to yourself and keep practicing. There is no rush to get this right the first or even the hundredth time. Each time you meditate, you will experience something different. The key is to enjoy the moment that you are in. You are training your mind and body to be present, not worrying about the past or being anxious about the future. The best part is that you can come back to this moment of peace anytime throughout the day. The breath will help you relax and calm your mind.

Final thoughts: I am on this journey with you researching tools for happiness and well-being. This particular meditation has opened so many doors for my own self-discovery. Remember, you can’t get this wrong, you already know how to breathe, the rest is simple. Here are some inspirational thoughts to inspire your day from a poem I wrote:

The moment was new and with fresh eyes to see,
All of the lovely lessons this seedling taught me.
I was never the same person after that day.
As I watered and loved the seeds I did lay.

Want to Start Meditating and Journaling? 

Click here to order a copy of “Just Breathe: A 90-Day Meditation Journal and Coloring Book