How Long (and How Often) Should You Be Meditating?

Jump to: How Often Should You Meditate? | The Best Time of Day to Meditate | The Benefits of a Consistent Routine | How Long Should You Meditate For? | How Long Until You See Results?

Meditation has a long history of being used to improve serenity and physical relaxation, psychological balance, and overall mental fitness. According to data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the number of American adults and children who practice yoga and meditation has climbed dramatically over previous years. 

However, before diving in to your own meditation practice, you’re likely wondering how often you should meditate or how long you should meditate for during each session.

This article will explain how long and how often you should meditate, as well as the effects and benefits of doing so.

How Often Should You Be Meditating?

To be clear, there are no set guidelines for how often should you meditate. However, as with other healthy habits, the more you do it, the better.

If you want to receive the full benefits of meditation, you should practice it daily. Research as well as our own personal experiences with meditation routines have shown that consistent meditation practice compounds the benefits meditation has on your brain and helps you cope with stress and negative emotions.

Questions about how to even get started? Learn how one beginner built her own daily habit and how you can do the same!

Should You Meditate Multiple Times a Day?

You certainly can! Meditation has no limits.

If you want to develop a habit of practicing, it’s critical to make it a daily priority to meditate. If you could meditate at least once a day, that would be ideal. However, some people enjoy the practice so much they meditate even more. 

For beginners, the most important thing to focus on is consistency, which simply means finding a reliable time of day that you can slot in at least one meditation session. 

Finding the Best Time of Day to Meditate

Although the hours before sunrise are said to be the best for meditation, most experts agree that you can meditate at any time of the day. However, the best time to meditate also differs from person to person. 

Here are some suggestions for the best time of day to meditate that will suit your needs.

– Early morning: Because the mind is quiet and fresh in the morning, many people believe it is the greatest time to meditate. It creates a calm and productive tone for the rest of the day’s activities and distractions.

– Time after work: Meditation is an effective technique to release tension in the body and mind that builds up during the workday. Meditating after work also establishes a useful and distinct line between your busy professional life and your personal life.

– Lunch hour: Meditating in the middle of the day, especially on hectic days, is a great way to de-stress. It allows you to unplug and improves your well-being, creativity, and productivity for the remainder of the day.

– Before bedtime: This is the moment to truly relax since the day’s work is finished. Night meditation will help you relax, which will lower your heart rate and make it simpler for you to go asleep.

The Benefits of Developing a Consistent Meditation Routine

Many different meditative activities enhance your mental and physical health, resulting in a higher quality of life and a sense of calm. When we practice meditation frequently and consistently, we receive even more advantages. 

The following are some of the health advantages of developing a consistent meditation routine:

– Better mental health.

– Enhanced physical well-being.

– Increased the quality of your sleep.

– Reduced levels of tension and stress.

– Aid in the management of pain.

– Boosted self-esteem.

– Help with coping.

Meditation Session Length: How Long Does it Take to See Results?

According to Pubmed, 13 minutes of meditation per day is the recommended amount of time to notice improvements. However, there is no set time limit for meditation. In fact, at Healium, studies have shown that users feel improved mood states in as little as 4 minutes. 

What matters most is that you pick a time that is reasonable, practical, and fun. 

After a few weeks, some of the benefits of meditation become apparent if you practice it regularly. A calmer, more stable mind is the most evident change. At some point in meditating every day, you might even stop worrying about how long meditation takes to see results.

How Long Should Beginners Meditate for?

Although meditation appears to be simple, it requires practice to be effective. Beginners should begin by meditating for three to five minutes each day. 

When you first begin meditating, even 5 minutes can seem like a long time. Starting with just three minutes will allow you to adjust. Increase the minutes when you can sit still and rest. Then, as you become more comfortable with the practice, you gradually increase your time.

How Long Does it Take for Meditation to Change Your Brainwaves?

The amount and type of electrical activity in the brain varies throughout the day and depends on whether we are mentally occupied, resting, or sleeping. Through meditation, you can learn to shift your brainwave patterns to a desired state, allowing you to change how you feel.

This becomes especially effective at optimizing your mental fitness when you become more familiar with the different types of brainwaves and the effects that different styles of meditation experiences have on them. 

If you’re already in the zone of meditation, it can start modifying your brainwaves in as little as 5 minutes. According to an article published by Psychology Today, meditation can change our brain for the better in as little as 11 hours if we practice it regularly.

Using meditation to change your brainwaves is the foundation of Healium. By immersing our users in virtual or augmented reality meditation experiences, we help them reach deeper, more effective states of relaxation. Additionally, we offer neurofeedback devices that capture brainwave data in real time, so users can target and train specific brainwaves as they meditate!

Interested in Healium VR meditations? Learn more about how Healium works here.

The Bottom Line: How Long Should You Be Meditating?

Meditation offers numerous advantages, but it is not an instant solution and needs to be practiced regularly to experience the full benefits. 

We understand how it can be hard to integrate a new routine into your daily life, especially if you’re a beginner to the practice. However, mental health has never been more in focus for our society at large, and meditation truly has the power to change your life.

Whether you’re looking to improve the quality of your sleep, lower your stress levels, or are simply looking for a way to make time for your mental health at home, meditation can provide you with the perfect outlet. 

All that really matters is that you choose to make the commitment, find the best ways to slot it into your daily routine, and follow through consistently.

If you’re interested in some quality tips on how to turn meditation into a habit, check out this blog written by Jessie Jacob. 

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About the Author

Sarah Hill, a former interactive TV news journalist at NBC, ABC, and CBS affiliates in Missouri, gained recognition for pioneering interactive news broadcasting using Google Hangouts. She is now the CEO of Healium, the world’s first biometrically powered VR/AR channel, helping those with stress, anxiety, insomnia, and other struggles through biofeedback storytelling. With patents, clinical validation, and over seven million views, she has reshaped the landscape of immersive media.