I stopped meditating for a month and I won’t do it again

Since last fall, I had a consistent meditation practice of spending 5–15 minutes every morning doing some version of mindfulness or meditation. I used apps, YouTube videos and Soundcloud to play guided meditations. Some mornings I just sat and focused on my breath. Overall, I went an entire year keeping up this practice.

Around August of this summer, I started incorporating exercise into my morning routine at the expense of meditation. I thought it would accomplish the same purpose. I thought that fitness would ground me the same way focusing on my breath would. I was wrong.

While it was great to have done physical activity before 8:00am, my mental state suffered. Last month I hit some low points. I got down on myself. More so than I ever have. I wasn’t sure if these were the growing pains of adulthood. Maybe it was just the harsh reality of life after college. But as I’ve adopted my meditation practice again, I’m starting to see more light.

My month of no meditation wasn’t a deliberate experiment, but it provided as much evidence as I needed to decide I won’t stop meditating again. I make time for meditation every morning now and I won’t be changing that habit any time soon.