How to Meditate for Happiness (in 15 Minutes or Less)
Meditation. Everyone seems to be doing it these days and there are meditations for everything. But how to meditate for happiness? Is it just one practice or a combination of different meditations?
The short answer is: You can meditate for happiness very easily and it doesn’t take any longer than 15 minutes.
But there are many ways in which meditation can help you be happier. If you already practice meditation, you are well aware of the benefits it bestows upon you, like reduced stress levels, more energy, focusing your thoughts, etc. Meditation can even work as a natural remedy for anxiety.
If you haven’t practiced meditation, or just do it because “everyone does it” or “it’s trendy”, you might be confused about the whole subject. But don’t you worry!
Meditation is very easy and does not require any experience or courses to start.
In this article, you will learn meditation, why you should try it, and how to meditate for happiness with one easy 15-minute exercise.
What is meditation?
First of all, what is meditation? There are different practices described in blogs, books, and magazines. There are meditation apps for your phone, the internet is full of audio and video lessons, and the amount of options is just overwhelming.
Even with all the options out there, meditation is nothing too complicated.
Meditation, at the core, is simply something that connects you with your true self or inner self, whatever you want to call it.
Your true self is, well, who you truly are beneath all the layers of beliefs, habits, and thought patterns you have accumulated over your entire life.
Have you ever had a moment when everything just feels just as it’s supposed to be? You are calm, at peace, and happy.
This is your true self.
The moments of clarity and joy are usually very fleeting and few and far between. Therefore, this is precisely why meditation comes in handy. Meditation is a practice that helps you connect with these moments of clarity and happiness, your true self, more often.
Find Your Inner Happiness
Connecting with your true self can happen anytime, anywhere. You may have experienced (or can experience in the future) moments of re-connection while:
- walking on the beach or in the forest
- staring at the stars at night
- or even while doing some mindless chores like vacuuming or washing the dishes.
Who knew that washing the dishes could be a form of meditation?
Your experience of your true self is limited only by what you have come to believe over the years.
Our mind tends to wander on anything and everything, but once we stop for a second to focus on where we are and how we feel at the moment, we might experience the connection.
Meditation does not have to be any more complicated than that.
However, the modern world with its unending distractions is making it extremely hard to just stop and be mindful. Also, you probably won’t want to experience the benefits of meditation at random while vacuuming or doing the dishes.
That’s why a simple meditation practice will come in handy.
Train your mind with meditation
Digging a bit deeper, meditation is first and foremost a mental practice. It involves training your mind to focus and develop greater awareness and concentration.
Meditation involves intentionally directing attention to a particular object, such as the breath, a sound, or a visualization, and maintaining that focus for a period of time.
When the mind inevitably wanders, as it is prone to do, the meditator gently redirects their attention back to the chosen object without judgment or frustration.
There are many different types of meditation practices, ranging from focused attention meditation to mindfulness meditation, loving-kindness meditation, and transcendental meditation, among others.
What is the goal of meditation?
Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years in various spiritual and secular contexts, to various different ends.
Often it is mentioned, that meditation can lead to “spiritual awakening” or “enlightenment”. Indeed, these can be goals you set for your meditation practice
(Note: You cannot get enlightened by trying. It is a sudden understanding that you never needed to try and enlighten yourself – you already were enlightened. It’s a complex subject that we will tackle another time).
Meditation is about this concept of “deeper understanding”, whatever that may mean to you.
Use meditation to focus on the positive
Meditation is a powerful tool for habitually redirecting your thoughts and training your mind to focus.
You can (and I encourage you to) use it to become aware of your thoughts, therefore learning to focus on positive thoughts and desired outcomes. This is an excellent way to reduce stress and develop concentration.
You can also use meditation to train your mind to pick up healthy habits, such as improved sleeping patterns, eating healthier, exercising more, etc.
The goal is ultimately up to you.
You can use meditation for many different purposes, including reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, improving immune function, and promoting feelings of well-being and happiness.
Be open to new ideas
Taking distance from your thoughts, beliefs, and habits will eventually connect you to your inner understanding of peace and happiness.
But I understand that reconnecting with your inner self, your true self, may not sound that appealing to you.
It may be one of those “new age spiritual mumbo jumbo” things that you think will have no practical applications in your everyday life whatsoever.
Maybe, maybe not. As always, this depends on your view of the world and what you have come to believe about it.
But if you want to get rid of stress, anxiety, fear, or even depression, pain, or illness, I strongly advise you to develop new thought patterns.
Doing the same old things and thinking the same thoughts over and over again will keep bringing you the same old results.
Learn how to meditate for happiness: Change your thinking, change your habits, and change your life.
Why meditate - what are the benefits?
What meditation is great for, is to cultivate a state of calm and clarity and to develop greater insight into the nature of the mind and the world around us.
This state of calm and clarity brings with it many physical and emotional benefits. Regular meditation practice can have a variety of positive effects on physical and mental health, such as:
1. Reduce stress and anxiety: Meditation can help reduce the levels of stress hormones in the body, such as cortisol and adrenaline. It can also shrink your amygdala, the “fight or flight” part of your brain. This can lead to a reduction in feelings of fear, anxiety, and stress, and an increase in feelings of calm and relaxation.
2. Improve emotional regulation: Through regular meditation practice, individuals can become better at recognizing and regulating their emotions. This can help them respond to difficult situations with greater equanimity, and cultivate positive emotions like joy, gratitude, and contentment.
3. Enhance self-awareness: Meditation can help individuals become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. This can lead to greater self-awareness and a better understanding of one’s own values, goals, and desires, which can promote a sense of meaning and purpose in life.
4. Increase empathy and compassion: Through practices like loving-kindness meditation, individuals can cultivate feelings of warmth and compassion towards themselves and others. This can promote greater social connection and positive relationships, which are important components of happiness.
5. Promote a sense of calm and well-being: By focusing the mind and cultivating a sense of inner stillness, meditation can promote a feeling of calm and well-being. This can lead to greater overall life satisfaction and happiness.
6. Boost learning and memory: Frequent meditation has been shown to stimulate areas of your brain responsible for learning and memory. It can also help process fearful memories in a safe and easy way.
If you want to get started right away and learn how to meditate for happiness, grab a free guide by filling out the form below 👇
MEDITATION AS A TOOL TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE
I am by no means a meditation expert or a “certified” meditation teacher. Still, I have meditated and tried different techniques for the past ten or so years. What I want to do, as is the case with everything on this website, is to give you ideas and options you can try out for yourself and see what works for you.
An important thing to think about is: What are you trying to achieve with meditation?
Do you want to:
- Calm down and get rid of stress
- Relieve Anxiety
- Tap into your intuition to make a difficult choice
- Process negative memories
- Understand the meaning of life, the universe, and everything
You can do all of this with meditation! Before you start, set an intention. Decide the outcome that you want, and then sit still and let meditation do its magic.
But most of the time, For what we struggle with every day, we might do a quick fifteen-minute meditation to get rid of stress and worry.
Therefore we’ll take a look at a simple meditation practice as a tool to feel happier in your everyday life .
How to meditate for happiness
Take note of these tips before you start your meditation:
1. Think about an event in your life that made you feel happy
Really, truly, deeply happy. It could be the birth of a child, a moment in your relationship (present or past), achieving your goal etc. You will come back to this moment during meditation.
2. Set a timer for 15 minutes
This way you won’t be concerned about what time it is and how much or little time has passed. The alarm will tell you when it’s time to stop meditating. Once you get more proficient in meditation, you can do it in as little as 5 minutes for quick anxiety relief.
3. Don’t try not to think
Instead, just try to observe your thoughts and feelings. You will think thoughts. Your mind will never “shut up”. This is unavoidable and totally normal. Disconnect from your thoughts as if you were a bystander observing cars drive by on a street. If you find that you got lost in your thoughts, take a deep breath in and focus on your breath for a while. Then continue with the meditation.
15-Minute Happiness Meditation
Sit with your back straight but relaxed
- You can sit on a chair, couch, or a pillow on the floor
- You do not need to cross your legs, just sit comfortably - the most important thing is that your back is straight
- Push your chest out slightly
- Place your hands on your legs with palms facing up.
Alternatively you can also lie down
- Lie down on your back with your feet about shoulder-width apart and arms relaxed on your side with palms facing upward
Close your eyes
Breathe deeply in and out three times
- Take a deep breath in through your nose
- Hold for a few seconds
- Exhale through your mouth
- Repeat for three rounds
Think about a moment when you were truly happy
- It could be a recent event or something from distant past (this is where the preparation part comes in handy)
- It does not matter what event it is as long as you can connect with the feeling
Take a moment to “take in” this feeling of happiness
- Feel the happiness with every cell of your body from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head
Keep feeling the happiness
- Let the feeling stay with you but slowly release your thought of the event
- Be with the feeling and try to ignore everything else
When you are ready, slowly open your eyes and take a long deep breath
After the meditation
Even when trying meditation for the first time, you might notice that the feeling of happiness stays with you when you come out of meditation.
At first, it might only stay with you for a very short time, but as you practice, you should be able to keep the feeling with you for a longer period of time.
Try to make meditation a habit.
Set aside 15 minutes each day for meditation and keep at it for 21 days. That is the time estimated that it takes your mind to form a new habit.
The best times to meditate are as soon as you wake up in the morning or right before you go to sleep at night. If your work stresses you out, try meditating after you get home from work.
Common meditation mistakes
Meditation is a deeply personal practice and the best way to meditate is that which feels most natural to you. However, there are some things that you will want to avoid while working on your meditation routine.
1. There is no right way to meditate
Trying to stick too literally to instructions will probably hinder your ability to focus on the meditation itself. Forget about sitting or laying down just right, the position of your hands, and everything else. It’s beneficial to start with a guided meditation to get your bearings, but don’t worry if you can’t follow the instructions to the letter.
2. Don’t make it a chore
It’s important not to view meditation as a chore. Don’t do it just because you feel obliged to. Work it into your daily routine starting with quick 5-minute meditation sessions a couple of times per week. Work your way up to a schedule that feels comfortable. Some meditate every day, while some meditate once per week. Find out what works for you and go with that.
That being said, the best results come with consistency. But as mentioned, even just 5 minutes a couple of times per week may bring you all the benefits that you ever hoped for.
3. Don’t try too hard
One of the most common mistakes people make is trying too hard to meditate. They may try to force themselves to focus or empty their minds, which can be counterproductive. Meditation should be effortless and natural, so it’s important to relax and let go.
4. Give it some time
Meditation is a practice that takes time and patience. It’s not a quick fix, and you may not see immediate results (although you very well might). Approach meditation with an open mind and a willingness to commit to the practice.
5. Stop trying not to think
A common mistake is to try not to think anything at all. That is simply not possible. Your mind is like a raging torrent, the thoughts are always there in abundance. The correct way is to try and acknowledge the thoughts and let them pass by without judgment or attachment. If you find yourself lost in your thoughts (which will happen often), don’t worry about it. Just take a deep breath and bring your attention to your breath for a while.
6. Don’t judge yourself
Many people judge themselves harshly when they can’t seem to meditate properly or achieve a state of deep relaxation. It’s important to be gentle with yourself and understand that meditation is a journey, not a destination. You will find your groove.
How to meditate for happiness: Utilize modern tools
I know it can be hard to stick with a meditation practice with all the rush, stress, and chaos of modern life. I have often had times when I just couldn’t be bothered to meditate even though I was well aware of all the benefits.
You may spend your days at the office in a hectic job or your work just stresses you out otherwise. When you come home, there’s a family waiting for you that needs taken care of. Maybe you study after work to get an education and a better job. Where do you find the time and motivation to meditate?
First of all, there is time. Think about the moments you spend watching TV or staring at your phone. Most of us spend three to four hours every day staring at our phones.
Do you think you could find 15 minutes to put your phone down and meditate instead?
If you find it hard to put your phone down and develop a meditation habit, use your mobile device to your advantage.
There’s one application in particular that has worked wonders for me and thousands of others: The Tapping Solution.
Check out The Tapping Solution here
I am not affiliated with The Tapping Solution, I just think it is awesome!
The basic version of the app is free to use and has everything you need to get started with quick and easy stress reduction. You don’t even need the app once you get the hang of it. It’s all explained on the website.
Conclusion
Meditation is something you can do very easily in very little time to relieve stress and anxiety.
You don’t have to be a guru or hire a teacher to learn how to meditate for happiness.
Start with a simple practice, like the one described in this article, and keep at it. You will quickly adapt a style that works for you and your goals.
Meditation has many science-backed benefits:
- Reduces stress
- Controls anxiety and in some cases even depression
- Brings about positive feelings and expectations
- Improves sleep
- Can control pain and conditions like high blood pressure
Once you know how to control stress and anxiety, you can start to uncover true happiness, your natural state of being.
Disclaimer
The entire contents of this blog are based upon the opinions of the author. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The information in this blog is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care professional before trying any of the products or methods based on this content. I cannot guarantee that you will be free of stress, anxiety or depression, or that you will be happy. I simply want to share with you what I have discovered during my twenty years of seeking happiness and what has worked for me may not work for you.
