Meditation Tips for Busy People

In this article, you’ll find meditation tips to help you meditate 20–40 minutes daily without changing your schedule.

Meditation offers countless benefits for our bodies, minds, relationships, and professional lives.

But let’s face it: the most stereotypical image of meditation, eyes closed, legs crossed, hands in a mudra, sitting in complete stillness, doesn’t work for everyone. Sitting still and doing “nothing” feels more stressful than calming for many of us.

Busy people who juggle work and raising a family can hardly find even five minutes of quiet time in a day.

Fortunately, there are ways to integrate mindfulness and meditation into everyday routines. If you have time to shower, walk, or wash the dishes, you have time to meditate.

Let us show you how meditation can fit into your busy life. No perfect posture or silent room is required.

High Achievers’ Secret Superpower

Many high achievers credit their success and well-being to regular meditation.

Ray Dalio, billionaire investor and founder of Bridgewater Associates, told CNBC:¹ “Whatever success I’ve had in life has been more due to my meditating than anything else.”

The Honest Company founder Jessica Alba says meditation was essential to developing the confidence behind her entrepreneurial success: “Women are wildly underrepresented in business. You feel like maybe you don’t deserve to be there. That’s why I meditate and seek healers. It’s been an amazing journey.” ²

Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, turned to mindfulness during some of the company’s darkest financial years: ³ “The practice of mindfulness kept me going during the toughest days.”

Katy Perry shared in an interview with The Cut: ⁴ “Meditation has changed my life profoundly. I’ve dealt with depression and anxiety, and it’s a huge tool. I also use it for jet lag, hangovers, creativity.”

Oprah Winfrey champions meditation as a form of inner resilience: ⁵ “The outside world is constantly trying to convince you you’re not enough. But you don’t have to take the bait. Meditation helps you resist.”

Meditation is a powerful and nearly free tool that can elevate our health and overall well-being to an entirely new level.

Scientific research has confirmed that meditation improves memory, enhances attention, boosts the immune system, reduces inflammation, and slows the rate of aging.⁶ Meditation has also shown positive effects in managing complex conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and fibromyalgia. ⁷

Let’s discover ways to weave meditation into the rhythm of our busy lives.

Your Guide to Meditation On-the-Go

As a seasoned meditator, Oprah Winfrey once said: “So, although I’m a big proponent of formal meditation—for the discipline, joy, and calm it brings—I’m moving into an even greater phase of being fully present all the time.”⁵

Being fully present all the time is a beautiful aspiration, but let’s be honest – it’s also incredibly challenging.

What’s far more realistic and just as powerful is practicing mindfulness and meditation during everyday activities that are naturally calming, repetitive, or sensory. We can drop in, pause, and reconnect during these moments.

“On-the-go” meditations, woven naturally into daily life, are like mindfulness snacks. They can be compared to the increasingly popular exercise snacks. Both may lack the formality and structure of a full practice, but they can offer just as many benefits when done consistently and with intention.

Let’s dive in!

1. Shower Meditation

We often get our most creative ideas in the shower or bathtub, a phenomenon known as the shower effect, backed by numerous scientific studies.

The concept dates back to Archimedes, the original bathtub thinker, who famously discovered how to measure the volume of irregular objects while bathing.

According to an American cognitive scientist and author, Scott Barry Kaufman, three out of four people get creative ideas in the shower. ⁸ Shower are the best places to visualize how stress and tension are washed away, body and mind are cleansed, and focus your attention on gratitude and kindness.

Several factors contribute to the shower effect. ⁹ First, warm water relaxes the body, easing stress and tension. The solitude and comfort release dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone that enhances mood and creative thinking. At the same time, the brain slips into default mode, a mental state where it wanders freely, making unexpected connections and sparking fresh insights.

The shower creates a naturally calming environment, making it a perfect space for daily meditation.

A simple 10-minute shower can easily become a 10-minute powerful meditation when you incorporate one or several of the following practices:

• Use waterproof speakers. Play soft music or a guided meditation using a waterproof speaker. Some guided meditations are designed for showers.
• Focus on your breath. Notice the rhythm of your breathing and the sensation of warm water cascading over your skin.
• Engage your senses. Feel the silky lather gliding across your skin, inhale the scent of your soap, and stay mindful of your hands’ movement.
• Move mindfully. Move mindfully and intentionally. Slowing down helps anchor your attention and deepens the meditative quality.
• Gently refocus when distracted. If thoughts arise, acknowledge them without judgment, then return to your breath, the water, and the present moment.

2. Meditative Chores

Chores can be surprisingly powerful for practicing mindfulness and meditation. Their repetitive nature requires only part of our attention, creating space for daydreaming and reflection, which are key elements of meditation.

Among chores, washing dishes stands out. The warm water, the tactile experience, and the rhythmic motion offer a calming sensory ritual that helps quiet the mind and tap into the subconscious.

Agatha Christie, the legendary mystery writer, once said her best plot ideas came while doing dishes: “The best time for planning a book is when you’re doing the dishes.”

Billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates embrace the value of washing dishes.¹⁰ Bill Gates has shared that dishwashing is relaxing and a great way to unwind after a long day.

Similarly, cleaning, organizing, and laundry offer a gentle mental reset by engaging the mind in soothing, repetitive actions.

Here are a few tips to help you turn everyday chores into a truly meditative experience:

• Eliminate distractions. Avoid watching TV, listening to podcasts, or mentally planning your day. Instead, bring your full attention to the task at hand.
• Create a rhythm. Let the repetitive nature of chores, like scrubbing or sweeping, become rhythmic and soothing, almost like a dance or chant.
• Meditate on sounds. You can listen to calming music, play a single song on repeat, or tune in to the natural sounds of the chores, like running water or the hum of a vacuum.
• Mindful observations. Pay attention to the movement of your hands. You can also focus on physical sensations, especially the feel of warm water when you wash dishes.
• Start small. Some chores take time, so consider setting a time limit for your meditative practice and gradually extending it as you become more comfortable.

3. Meditative Therapies

I go to the gym four times a week, making time for 12 minutes of red-light therapy during each visit. I also spend 20 minutes in the sauna once a week. In addition, I treat myself to a one-hour massage and a one-hour acupuncture session every month. It adds up to about 90 minutes of therapeutic time each week.

Therapeutic time can easily be transformed into a mindful, meditative experience. Most therapeutic experiences involve closing your eyes and remaining still, either sitting or lying down, naturally creating the perfect conditions for slipping into a meditative state of deep awareness and inner calm.

Most massage and acupuncture services are accompanied by relaxing music. Some practitioners, especially massage therapists, enhance their treatments by weaving in mindfulness practices like body scans, guided meditation, and breathwork.¹¹

The following tips will help you bring greater depth and presence to your therapy sessions through mindfulness and meditation:

• Set an intention. Before you begin, take a moment to identify what you’d like to cultivate: relaxation, healing, a sense of presence, or simply letting go.
• Establish boundaries. If you’re working with a therapist or practitioner, consider asking for a quiet session without conversation. Share your intention to use the time for meditation and inner focus.
• Tune into temperature. Pay close attention to sensations of warmth, coolness, or heat, whether from a heating pad, a gentle breeze, or the warmth of a sauna. Let these shifts in temperature ground you in the present moment.
• Notice the space around you. Without judgment, notice the feel of the chair, the light in the room, and the scent of essential oils.
• Scan your body. Gently guide your awareness through your body from head to toe. Notice areas of tension, release, or sensation without judgment, simply observing.

4. Hypnagogic Meditation

“Once I’m awake, I take a moment to breathe deeply, express gratitude, and set my intention for the day,” shared Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post, in a 2020 interview with High Existence. ¹²

Echoing this mindset, entrepreneur Kat Norton shared on the Powerhouse Women podcast that she uses “I am” mantras and affirmations upon waking and before bed, which are key windows for accessing and reprogramming the subconscious mind.¹³

The subconscious mind is most receptive during the moments just after waking and before falling asleep, known as the hypnagogic state. This is when the brain moves through alpha and theta wave states linked to deep relaxation, heightened suggestibility, and intuitive insights. Brilliant minds throughout history have harnessed the hypnagogic state to access deep wells of creativity and insight.

During the hypnagogic state, the conscious mind’s critical filter is weaker, allowing new thoughts and beliefs to sink in more easily. Repeating affirmations, visualizing or setting intentions during these windows can help rewire neural pathways and influence new long-term habits.

The following tips will help you use the hypnagogic state to amplify the impact of your mindfulness and meditation practices:

• Use Audio Sleep Meditations. Play quiet alpha and theta wave binaural beat music, or choose music or guided meditation that aligns with your emotional state or intention.
• Repeat Affirmations During Drowsiness. Repeat positive, present-tense phrases like “I am well”, “I am healthy” as you drift off to sleep and the moment you wake up.
• Visualize in Bed. Visualize your ideal reality and imagine yourself fully immersed in it, experiencing every detail. You can also visualize an abstract image, such as a bright light radiating wellness.
• Keep a Journal by Your Bed. When you wake, free-write your dreams and thoughts that may contain messages from your subconscious.
• Use Aromatherapy: Use scents like lavender or sandalwood to gently cue your body into a restful, receptive state.

5. Meditation in Motion

Though often associated with stillness, meditation and mindfulness can be as effective when practiced in motion. Activities like yoga, walking, dancing and running are well-suited for cultivating presence and awareness.

Writing for Fit and Well, Lou Mudge shared her rewarding experience with a guided walking meditation from Headspace. ¹⁴ Thanks to the practice, Lou could be fully present on Sunday afternoon, instead of getting lost in anxiety about the week ahead. The meditation gently quieted her mental chatter and brought her into the present moment.

In my article for The C Word Magazine, I share how running not only gives me that familiar “runner’s high” but also unlocks a steady stream of creative ideas. ¹⁵ When I run, I can’t think about anything. My mind locks into the rhythm of my breath, the movement of my body, and the world around me.

Combined with the natural boost of endorphins and serotonin released during exercise, this immersion creates a deeply mindful, meditative state lasting as long as I run, typically over an hour. This access to a quieter, more subconscious space often sparks unexpected bursts of creativity.

• Choose peaceful surroundings. When running or walking, avoid busy roads and opt for quiet, natural settings to reduce distractions from noise and pollution.
• Anchor your emotions in positivity. Use the rhythm of your movement to shift your emotions toward gratitude, joy, or calm.
• Move freely. If you dance, let go of choreography and allow your body to move intuitively and authentically.
• Experiment with audio. Experiment with different types of calm music and guided meditations to find what best supports your meditative experience.
• Take your time. Give your mind time to settle into a rhythm, allowing deeper thoughts and creative insights to surface naturally.

Summary Table

By embedding meditation and mindfulness into everyday activities, we can effortlessly allocate twenty to forty minutes to this practice. Most people struggle to schedule even a small fraction of dedicated meditation time in their day.

Below are brief overviews of this article’s key meditation and mindfulness practices, including suggestions for when they’re most effective.

Glossary:

• Affirmations involve repeating positive, present-tense empowering statements like “I am well” or “I am healthy.” They’re most effective during the hypnagogic state, the transitional phase between sleep and wakefulness, when the mind is especially open to suggestion.
• Embodiment brings awareness to the physical body, including posture, sensation, and subtle internal experiences. It works exceptionally well during shower and therapeutic meditations, when the body is naturally attuned to sensory input.
• Breathing refers to slow, mindful breaths taken with full attention on the sensations of inhaling and exhaling. Breathing is a foundational practice in nearly every form of meditation. Focusing on breathing can be challenging during some meditations in motion, such as running or dancing.
• Visualization is the creation of mental imagery of an ideal reality or symbolic imagery, like a glowing ball of healing light. It works best during still moments, like in therapeutic or hypnagogic meditations, where visual focus isn’t competing with active hand or body movement.
• Gratitude involves mentally or verbally acknowledging the things you’re thankful for. It is a core element of nearly all meditative and mindful practices.
• Anchoring is recalling positive past experiences and consciously reconnecting with the emotions they evoked. Like gratitude, it is a foundational tool.
• Sound Meditation centers your attention on repetitive or ambient sounds, such as singing bowls, gongs, chimes, or even the steady hum of a fan. It’s especially effective in environments with natural background sounds, like running water or a vacuum hum, which provide a consistent, meditative rhythm.
• Guided Meditation involves following an audio guide or voice to direct your attention. Guided meditations are designed for showers, walks, mornings, and falling asleep. Combining guided meditations with chores and meditative therapies can be challenging since these activities have their own rhythm.