5 Ways to Help Make Meditation a Daily Habit

Last Updated on April 15, 2026 by Matthew Sockolov

You’re interested in meditation, and maybe even have some experience with practice and its benefits. But you struggle to actually sit every day. This is a common experience, especially for those who are just starting their path.

Why Make Meditation a Habit?

Sometimes, meditation may feel like a chore. It’s something we know we “should” do, but don’t really want to. When meditation becomes a habit, we lose this internal discussion. Meditation becomes a part of our day just the same as brushing our teeth, eating, or having our coffee in the morning.

As I discuss in this post over at The Mindful Counselor, research has found consistency to be key when it comes to experiencing the benefits of meditation. In fact, one study found that frequency of practice was more closely correlated with stress reduction than total minutes of meditation. When considering how long meditation takes to work, consistency seems to be an important predictor. 

In addition to actually finding the benefits of meditation practice, regular meditation transforms it from a task to a habit. We don’t struggle to meditate; it comes naturally. With regular practice, we find more joy and ease in meditation, and let go of the straining and forcing. I have truly found when I am in the zone and meditating daily, my practice is gentler and much more fruitful.

Start Small

This is something I have repeated countless times over the years. It’s a common misconception about meditation that we need to sit for twenty, thirty, or forty-five minutes to see the benefits. Start as small as you need to. For those new to meditation who want to build a regular sitting practice, I often recommend beginning with five to ten minutes a day.

Starting small has several benefits. First, it is manageable. You won’t find as many excuses if you only need to set aside five minutes a day than if you are trying to sit for a half-hour. You also won’t have quite as much boredom in meditation with shorter sits, allowing you to have a more pleasant experience. Although discomfort is a part of meditation practice, encouraging a more pleasant sit at the beginning can help us associate our practice with more positive experiences.

For more on this topic, I recommend reading my post For How Long Should Beginners Meditate?

Habit Stack

Habit stacking, or habit pairing, is exactly what it sounds like. The idea is to attach your new habit (meditation) to an existing habit. Because the first thing is already a habit for you, the new thing takes more easily. It is best done with a strong anchor habit, or something you do daily that you never skip. 

It might be making your morning coffee, walking the dog, or brushing your teeth. Immediately when finishing another habit, take the time to meditate. By doing this regularly, you’re linking meditation with an existing habit and giving yourself the best chance at making it a part of your routine. I frequently recommend this to my students who want to start a daily meditation practice, and have had quite a bit of success with habit stacking.

Be Consistent

I already covered how consistency is key, so this tip seems a bit redundant. But what I mean here is actually more specific. Be consistent with the time of day you meditate, where you meditate, and what you do. This consistency helps cement the habit in your brain. If you do something at the same relative time every day, your mind and body come to expect it and be prepared for it.

It can be hard to find the time to meditate. I recommend setting aside some time and pairing it with another habit in the morning. As far as space goes, you don’t need anything special. Pick a place where you can sit regularly and is comfortable. And as far as practice goes, try sitting in the same type of meditation. If you bounce around too much with different practices, there’s not as strong of a habit building. 

Be Accountable

Finding a way to be accountable with your practice can help immensely in building a habit. Internal motivation is great, but external motivation can support us in our early days of meditation practice. My top recommendation is to find a meditation buddy or peer group. Sit with other people, build a habit together, and learn from one another.

Another option to do this is by keeping a mindfulness journal. Take some time outside of your sitting practice to reflect on your meditation and how it is going. You also can work one-on-one with a mindfulness coach to build accountability, gain personalized instruction, and find some direction with your practice.

Practice in Daily Life

I talk about this a lot in my talks and on my blogs. Make mindfulness a part of your daily life! We spend most of the day interacting with the world outside, not sitting in meditation. By finding ways to bring presence to everyday living, we build some continuity between sitting periods. This was the inspiration behind my bestselling book, and a strong passion of mine.

You might start with the practice of awareness triggers, or mindfulness reminders. I cover this more here, but the idea is to pick something that happens every day (like your phone ringing) and use it as a reminder to return to the present moment. This is an accessible way to bring mindfulness to everyday life and build a bridge between your sitting practice and everyday life. For more tips, check out my post Learning to Practice Mindfulness in Everyday Life or my online course Practicing Mindfulness.