12 Meditation Tips for Entrepreneurs: Using a Business Approach to Mindfulness

The entrepreneurial mindset and decision-making processes are surprisingly well-applied to meditation practices. Entrepreneurs are used to starting from scratch, maintaining persistence, utilizing resources, consulting with others, and staying organized, all of which is essential to developing successful meditation habits. Let this serve as a guide for busy professionals who want to improve their mindfulness and mental health through meditation.

1. Start Small

Like most habits, meditation works best when you start with its basic principles. Think about when you were first learning about how to market your business, build your website, or pursue entrepreneurship in general. You don’t dive into the most complex concepts right off the bat; you learned how to do the simple things first and built your expertise from there. Take the same approach with meditation. You can start with short sessions (anywhere from 1-5 minutes), then gradually extend them as you improve. Like any skill, masterful meditation is learned through practice. The important thing is that you stay consistent day-to-day versus meditating sporadically for longer periods of time.

2. Mark Your Calendar

To help you stay consistent, incorporate your meditation time into your daily schedule (ideally in the morning). Mark it on your calendar like you would any other meeting, then stick to that time each day (when your schedule allows). As entrepreneurs, it’s easy for us to push items that help with our personal development aside when professional obligations arise. Having it blocked on your calendar will not only remind you to meditate, but it will also make others (and you) respect that time.

3. Use Resources

Like most skills in today’s day and age, there are apps, videos, and audio clips available online that can help you improve your meditation sessions. At Ignite Coaching, we use the Calm App, which has guided meditations, music, and “Sleep Stories” all meant to facilitate mindfulness, gratitude, focus, quality sleep, and good mental health. The Calm App even has a “Calm Business” option, which allows entrepreneurs to share these resources with their employees. There are other apps available as well as YouTube videos, Spotify clips, and websites with meditation guidance. These expert-designed resources can help you grow in your meditation journey and prioritize mental health across your entire company.

4. Dedicate Space

One of the best ways to build positive habits is to set up a space that is dedicated and optimized for the action that you want to take. Think about your desk. You associate it with getting work done and improving your business. To be most productive, you need to be organized and have access to the supplies you need to run your company (computer, pens, phone, notepad, etc.). Approach meditation with the same mindset. Designate a space in your house or office for mindfulness, and design that space with the items necessary to maximize your session. This could include things like pillows, comfortable seating, aromatherapy diffusers, candles, sound machines, music, or a journal. The space should also be somewhere dark and with as few distractions as possible. (If you’re meditating at work, put a note on the door so that others know not to disturb you). When an area is optimally organized, you are more likely to be consistent and successful in your meditation routines.

5. Practice Mindfulness throughout Your Day

Entrepreneurs are busy. As important as it is to block off time and designate spaces for meditation, it’s not always realistic. You may need to attend an all-day conference, catch an early flight, or meet with a client at odd hours if they’re in a different time zone. To manage the unpredictability of your entrepreneurial lifestyle while maintaining consistent meditation habits, find ways to practice mindfulness in other situations. When it’s time to eat, take your lunch in a quiet place, put away your phone, and get away from distractions. If you have a 10-minute break, take a walk around the block. Even if you just have a quiet moment alone in your office, turn off the lights and focus on your breathing for a minute or two. You’d be surprised by the impact that mini-meditations can have throughout your day.

6. Explore Meditation Techniques

There are different techniques for meditation the same way that there are different strategies for business. Twitter may be the optimal channel for reaching consumers for one business, but podcasts may work better for other companies. In meditation, there are loads of methods you can test out to see which best suits your needs and preferences. You can try zen, mantra, transcendental, or yoga meditation. You can find more insight from the Headspace website here. 

7. Join a Community

Joining groups of others who meditate (or are learning to meditate) is another great way to expand your horizons and develop consistency. Just like you learn from groups of fellow entrepreneurs, you can get new insights by joining online or in-person communities of meditation experts and participants. Attending group meditations or classes is also helpful, and you can even invite friends, family, or coworkers to go with you.

8. Be Patient

Keep in mind that meditation is a skill. As entrepreneurs, we’re accustomed to taking on new challenges, learning new areas of expertise, and starting an enterprise from scratch. Meditation is no different. Progress in meditation takes time, and it will gradually improve as your sessions continue. The key is to be patient with yourself as you’re learning and maintain your consistency even when you’re frustrated. The more you meditate, the more successful your sessions will be.

9. Set Realistic Expectations

While practicing will make your meditation sessions better over time, it’s important to keep in mind that some days will be easier than others. During some sessions, you may be able to connect with your inner self right off the bat; during others, your mind may keep wandering to your upcoming workday, family obligations, or personal stressors. By persisting in practicing mindfulness on the more difficult days, you will gradually be able to settle your conscience more quickly in more stressful situations. This is another reason why consistency is key to meditative practices.

10. Reflect and Keep Track

Like your business ventures, keep track of your meditation habits, trends, and experiences. Reflect on each session. Did you try something new? How did you feel before and after meditating? Did your mind wander, and if so, what to? Reflecting will help you not only track meditation as a habit, but it will also allow you to see how you’ve improved over time. This will motivate you to continue to dedicate your time to meditating, much like you decide to invest in company initiatives that are yielding a strong return. Take a few minutes after each session to jot down a couple of notes in your journal or phone so that each session after is a little better than the one before.

11. Prioritize Mindfulness

Effectively prioritizing is essential to the success of an entrepreneur; to reap its benefits, meditating needs to be relatively high on that list. Meditation is scientifically proven to improve sleep, memory, focus, decision-making, and mental health. It helps ease stress, decrease anxiety, and improve physical health conditions by lowering blood pressure and strengthening your immune system. To be the mental giant and maintain the physical health that entrepreneurs need to run a business, you need to prioritize meditation and make it an integral part of your morning routine.

12. Consult an Expert

Lastly, seeking professional guidance in your meditation can help not only improve your approach to mindfulness, but it can also provide you with individualized instruction to help you get the most out of your specific practices. Much like entrepreneurs hire expert consultants to advise on parts of their specific business, people can turn to life coaches for insight on how they can improve their individual meditative practices throughout every step of the way. If you’re looking to maximize the time you spend meditating, getting a coach can be an extremely valuable asset.

Conclusion

Overall, meditation is one of the best methods for relaxing your mind, finding inner peace, and connecting with yourself. Additionally, the physical and emotional benefits of practicing meditation over time can have an immense impact on how you approach business and all aspects of your life. While entrepreneurs are often pressed for time, taking a few minutes each morning to clear your mind can have a surprising impact in the long run.