Recently, we hit the halfway mark of 2026. Given how rough 2025 was and never really felt under control, I decided to take a moment and check in with 2026 and my goals. I wanted a moment to pause (as the school year starts back up and fall is looming) to ask: how is it going?
(By way of reminder, I am one of those who sets a word of the year every year, and I use Powersheets, journaling, and other tools to set intentions for how I want to spend my days.)
And one thing stood out…
Despite all my hardest tries, I can’t seem to get to the point of daily meditation! This has been a goal for years, and I can’t get there.
But then I realized: I actually do many activities daily that are meditative. So maybe I am getting there by other methods?
Why a Daily Meditation Habit?
It has long been established that regular meditation has powerful effects on the physical, emotional, and mental systems of the body. This has been proven on a scientific level and also in testimonies from people who have discovered a better path forward, self-love, and healing all through learning to meditate. Although I meditate a couple of times a week at the end of yoga classes, I have long been curious to see what a dedicated, daily practice might open up for me.
I also felt as though doing this daily would be necessary to sense the growth and change (and maybe even more so the struggles). A few haphazard times a week didn’t feel like a practice. It felt like dabbling.
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What Am I Hoping To Achieve With A Meditation Practice?
I read 10% Happier, and daily meditation fixed him and made him very successful – basically, that was the impetus of wanting to tackle this goal for years now, if I am honest.
But it’s more than that, too. When I do lean into meditation, I immediately feel the peace it brings. It gives me a moment to see what is bothering me and let things come to the surface. I let my thoughts bubble as they will instead of moving on to the next left-brained logical task I need to accomplish in a busy digital age.
Yet I also want meditation to get rid of the parts of my personality I don’t like.
I run hot by way of emotions and passion.
I have a temper.
I tend to say what I am thinking when I am thinking it.
I can be judgmental of others at times, and then regret it when I am.
All of these things I don’t like about who I am could be modified, or at least slowed down, by calming my brain and my breath more often.
Why I Can't Seem to Meditate On a Daily Basis
I haven’t prioritized it is likely the simplest answer. Like everyone else in the world, I am busy – a full-time working mom with hobbies and interests, a husband I like spending time with, pets to walk, and community organizations I participate in. I can only carve out time for so much, and I prioritize reading, eating healthy, journaling, walking my dog(s), and physical activity (such as spin classes and Body Pump). I have tried to throw in 10 minutes of meditation after a workout, but it just doesn’t work. I am usually too amped up after a high-intensity workout, or I am already being called on to the next thing.
It just hasn’t fit into my life the way I had hoped.
I also find that I need to be in a certain headspace to get into my headspace, and that means the best time is first thing in the morning. Yet my mornings are jam-packed no matter how early I get up, it seems. I journal, walk the dog(s), eat a healthy breakfast, get the kids off to school, and pack my own lunch to work every day. Mornings are busy.
So after some valiant efforts of trying to incorporate a daily meditation practice, I have decided to embrace these things about myself and life, and find other ways to achieve the mental clarity and calm I am looking for. No more self-judgement.
Meditative Activities (That Aren't Meditation)
These are some activities I have found that help me reach that meditative state, the “flow” state, which don’t require me to commit to a formal meditative practice. These activities feel fun, like a treat, and, therefore, are things that I am highly likely to do regularly!
- Yoga
I am a dedicated yoga practitioner and teacher. (I passed my 200-hour yoga teacher training before the pandemic hit.) If you are looking to get started, read my guide to yoga. But a good yoga practice will connect mind, breath, and body, ending with a meditative moment. - Walking – without music or podcasts
An assignment in my yoga teacher training required me to go outside and do a “meditative walk” for at least 20 minutes. This is something I have kept. I leave my phone at home; if a dog is around and willing, they go with me, and I just walk. I find the physical repetitive movement and being outside helps me process so much. (I have come up with some of my most creative ideas and solved some big challenges while walking.) - Adult coloring books
These were all the rage years ago, and lucky for us they didn’t go anywhere! Lovely coloring books where you focus solely on color, the lines, and creation are incredibly healing. I have always been drawn to Johanna Basford coloring books, personally. But there are adult coloring books specifically aimed at mindfulness. - Paint-by-number
Same notes as above on creation! I am doing one from this company right now. Word to the wise: get the easy ones. These can be really challenging! - Sewing, crocheting, embroidery, cross stitch
Knitting is incredibly meditative, especially if making something easier without a complicated pattern. But these handicrafts will force you to get out of your worry-space and into your focus-on-the-moment space. - Sleep stories
I absolutely love the Calm app sleep stories. I have ended up using those more than the daily meditations! (Fun tidbit: I even reference a Calm sleep story in an Instagram story!) - Journalling/Free Writing
Of course, I am a huge fan of journaling. This has to be one of the best ways to work out thoughts and feelings – put words to the things floating in the mind. But don’t put pressure around this! Just open a page, and free-write. Ask yourself to spend 5-6 minutes writing whatever is on your mind. No expectations or goals. - 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think
I took the time over the year to read one of these essays every morning, then sit in quiet thinking about it or using it as a journal prompt. The essays are short and deal with a broad range of topics, but all focus on helping us live our best lives with freedom and authenticity. Check out this post of 10 books that will help you change your life if you want more inspirational reading. - Meditative music
Again, the Calm app is a great resource for this (I download meditative music before I get on long plane trips). But the key is to put the music on and then just exist. Don’t try to do and accomplish; just be.
Note that gardening is not on this list! A lot of folks consider gardening and plant-tending meditative, but for me, while I love my plant babies, I also feel a certain amount of stress with keeping my foliage alive and thriving. It becomes a chore, a feeling I am trying to alleviate when it comes to meditative activities.
All said, I do feel as though these practices, these hobbies if you will, help me find peace and calm. These are intentional moments where I slow down. I allow my brain and body to catch up to one another. I allow myself time to really acknowledge what I am thinking and feeling, even if I don’t feel the need to take action on anything (or at least actions in the immediate). I love the moments to shut out the world and just be. That seems a lot, my friends, like meditation.
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