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| Hi! My name is Christy, and I’ve been an editor at Healthline for the past 4 years. I’m an expert CBD tester, cat lady, and storyteller at heart. This is my first time writing for Wellness Wire — I’m excited to share what I’ve been working on and looking forward to connecting with you along the way. |
| For years, I’ve heard about the benefits of meditation, such as reduced stress, improved focus, and emotional balance. In the past, I used the Calm app to try meditating, but I practiced inconsistently, often turning to it only in moments of panic rather than as a regular habit. |
| A few weeks ago, I decided to give meditation a real shot. I challenged myself to commit to this practice every day for 21 days! Below, read about how this experience went. |
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Peace, love, and deep breaths,
Christy Snyder
Editor, Healthline
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Written by Christy Snyder
April 30, 2025 • 3 min read |
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| What happened when I took a daily meditation break for 3 weeks |
| The first few days of my daily meditation challenge were the hardest. On day 1, I had a massage scheduled for 6:30 p.m. For my first foray into meditating, I planned to meditate during the massage. The first thing my masseuse had me do was take a long, deep breath — and I realized it was the first time I had done so all day. |
| Attempting to meditate during my massage was a total flop — definitely not the Zen moment I’d hoped for. My thoughts felt chaotic, jumping from task lists to random memories. I found it nearly impossible to focus on my breathing. I realized how much noise exists in my mind daily, especially recently. It had become difficult to manage. |
| Going forward, I scheduled dedicated morning meditation sessions at the same time each day. This way, meditating was done before my day got busy, so I wouldn’t forget or run out of time to do it. |
| As the next few days went by, I noticed subtle changes: I felt less anxious before bed, and my sleep quality seemed to improve. I also started exploring different types of meditation: guided, breathing-focused, and even complete silence. Days 4 to 7 were even better, but still challenging. I was progressing … slowly. |
| It wasn’t until days 8 to 14 that I noticed bigger improvements, especially in my mood and anxiety levels. By the second week, surprising shifts started happening. Then, the real transformation happened between days 15 to 21. |
| Reflecting on these 3 weeks, I can honestly say that meditation has had a profound effect on me. It didn’t happen all at once, but each day, the benefits built up. Check out my full write-up to find out how the rest of the experience went! |
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