Making Mindfulness a Habit

From the beginning, the Levelhead approach to developing a mindfulness practice was based on the assumption that people have busy lives and need to be able to practice whenever, wherever it fits their lifestyle. We realize that people are time-starved and have a limited desire for practices that require more than 5 minutes. Our approach is a sharp departure from traditional mindfulness programs that average 8 to 10 weeks, where participants are asked to practice 45 minutes to an hour. For some people, this traditional approach works well for developing an ongoing mindfulness practice. However, many people struggle with traditional programs especially as it relates to the required time commitment (Carmody & Baer, 2009; Demarzo et al., 2015).

Take a look at what recent research says about what is needed to develop a mindfulness practice:

• Brief practices are effective. Researchers found that short mindfulness practices can immediately and positively impact our emotions, mood, stress, and anxiety (Mohan et al., 2011). For example, Berghoff et al. (2017) suggested that 10 minutes of daily practice was as equally effective in decreasing stress as a 20-minute practice. Other studies found that 5-minute mindfulness practices effectively improved well-being, such as decreasing heart rate and improving mood, as compared to a control group (Campbell-Sills et al., 2006).

• Lifestyle adaptation. Consistent practice is required to see the benefits of mindfulness. Research indicates that one of the best ways to do this is to develop a practice that suits your unique lifestyle and habits.

• Implementation intentions. One of the most effective tools to incorporate mindfulness into our daily routine is a well-researched approach called implementation intentions. This technique involves creating “if-then” plans related to when, where, and how an intended behavior will be performed related to a goal (Gollwitzer, 1999). Using daily habits and behaviors as triggers to practice can be an effective way to ensure regular repetition.

  • Examples of “if-then” intentions:

    • "If I park the car when I get to work, I will breathe for 5 minutes."

    • "If I take the train to work, I will focus my attention on my surroundings for 5 minutes."

    • "If I brush my teeth, I will focus on my senses for 5 minutes."

  • Implementation intentions can also be used as a coping mechanism in response to stress, anxiety, or depression (e.g., "If I feel stressed, I will take a breathing break for 5 minutes").

• Habit formation. Habit formation states that habits are acquired through a systematic strengthening of the relationship between a situation (e.g., taking a lunch break) and an action (e.g., breathing practice). This is usually achieved through repeating a behavior in a consistent and reoccurring everyday situation, which gradually increases the automaticity in which the action is initiated and performed (Lally et al., 2010; Verplanken et al., 2011). In essence, repetitive attempts to increase mindfulness lead to an incremental tendency to be mindful in a more automatic manner.

To begin a mindfulness practice, you might start by experimenting with lengths of practice, types of practices, and when you practice. This will allow you to determine what works best for you. For example, you might tie regular occurrences or activities in your everyday life (such as walking to work) with a mindfulness practice (such as mindfulness walking). As you consider your routine, look for activities that allow you to create enough consistency in practice so that it can become automatic and part of your routine.

Linking a mindfulness practice to your routine is an effective way to develop your practice. This is why, in just one of our tracks, Levelhead has 70 micro-practices averaging 3-5 minutes, designed to be incorporated into everyday situations. Take a few minutes to review the ones below and reflect on what daily activities and opportunities you have to "automate" your mindfulness practice. This might give you ideas on where to begin.

References

Berghoff, C. R., Wheeless, L., Ritzert, T.R., Wooley, C. M., Forsyth, J. P. (2017). Mindfulness meditation adherence in a college sample: comparison of a 10-min versus 20-min 2-week daily practice. Mindfulness. 2017;8:1-9.

Campbell-Sills L., Barlow, D.H., Brown, T.A., Hofmann, S.G. (2006). Effects of suppression and acceptance on emotional responses of individuals with anxiety and mood disorders. Behav Res Ther. 44:1251-1263.

Carmody, J., Baer, R.A.( 2009). How long does a mindfulness-based stress reduction program need to be? A review of class contact hours and effect sizes for psychological distress. J Clin Psychol., 65:627-638.

Demarzo, M.M., Montero-Marin, J., Cuijpers, P., et al.(2015). The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in primary care: a meta-analytic review. Ann Fam Med. 2015;13:573-582.

Gollwitzer, P.M.(1999). Implementation intentions: strong effects of simple plans. Am Psychol., 54:493-503.

Lally P, Van Jaarsveld, C.H., Potts ,H.W., Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: modelling habit formation in the real world. Eur J Soc Psychol. 2010;40:998-1009.

Mantzios, M., & Giannou, K. (2019). A real-world application of short mindfulness-based practices: a review and reflection of the literature and a practical proposition for an effortless mindful lifestyle. American Jjournal of Llifestyle Medicine, 13(6), 520-525.

Mohan A., Sharma R., Bijlani R.L. (2011). Effect of meditation on stress-induced changes in cognitive functions. J Altern Complement Med., 17:207-212.

Verplanken B. (2006). Beyond frequency: habit as mental construct. Br J Soc Psychol. 45 (3):639-656.