How Just 10 Minutes Of Silence A Day Can Make You Dramatically Happier (And Then Some)

by Marci Shimoff

Meditation.

It seems that everyone is doing it—or at least has tried to.

From Transcendental Meditation to Vipassana and every flavor in between, sitting in silence is officially a very popular past time.

Meditation is known to help reduce stress and lower anxiety, all of which make us happier.

Getting still is what allows us to rise above the chaos of our lives and find peace.

And it can be done just about anywhere.

Now let’s talk about you. You’re stressed. You’d like to feel less anxious. And a whole lot happier.

So the question is this:

Why aren’t you meditating?

The Biggest Excuse Not To Meditate Is Also The Reason You Need To

“I just don’t have the time.”

I don’t know you personally, but I can bet this is what you’re thinking.

You feel you just can’t fit one more thing into your already busy day. And believe me, I can relate. My schedule can be pretty crazy. But as I learned years ago, the real problem isn’t a lack of time—it’s our inability to prioritize what we do with our time.

As my meditation teacher told me a long time ago:

“If you’re too busy to meditate, you’re too busy.”

The reason is this:

Meditation is like fuel for your inner being. When you don’t take the time to “fill up,” you wind up running on empty.

I learned this painful lesson years ago.

How 7 Days Of Silence Became A Turning Point In My Life

“You look terrible!”

That’s what a very good friend of mine told me when she saw what I looked like during a high-stress period.

I had been working without a break, and I foolishly thought I could do it all. Instead, I wound up looking like I had been run over.

This same friend was kind enough to drag me on a 7-day silent meditation retreat.

For the first few days, it was absolute torture. I couldn’t sit still, and I was counting down the days to “freedom.” But then I started to settle in. And on day 4, I had a major epiphany when a big book idea flashed into my brain (Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul—this was the first time anyone had thought of a series for the Chicken Soup for the Soul books).

I knew this was a sign from above, one that I could have only been receptive to because the non-stop chatter in my brain had died down. Our higher guidance is always trying to talk with us, but we can’t hear it when there’s no stillness.

This means that if you’re not taking the time to be in silence and mediate, just think of all the amazing ideas and solutions higher guidance is trying to send you—and you’re not even aware they’re there!

That’s exactly what I realized was happening for me. My stroke of genius happened not during my frenzied schedule, but while I was doing absolutely nothing!

I was beyond excited about the book, but there was just one little problem—I still had 3 days of silence to go!

The moment I left the retreat, I got the ball rolling on the idea, and a year later, my first book came out, which went to #1 on the NY Times bestseller list the first week it was published.

At another silent retreat some years later, the same thing happened—and I received a “download” with the title for another book, Happy for No Reason, that also became a NY Times bestseller.

I now do a silent retreat every year. Again, I believe these ideas would never have flashed into my mind had I not taken the time to be still.

Do More In Less Time And Get Happier While You’re At It

When you meditate, you “fill” yourself up, so your day actually goes more smoothly and you get MORE done, and more quickly.

What’s more, you’re a whole lot calmer and happier, no matter what life throws at you.

There’s actual science to back this up. Research on monks’ brains shows that meditation actually calms down the amygdala, the part of your brain which is responsible for the fight or flight response.

When you train on the cushion, you actually train yourself to be calmer when you’re off it!

Now, I know not everyone can do a silent meditation retreat. And the good news is that you don’t have to.

You can be dramatically happier one month from now—and it will only take minutes a day.

In my video program, 30 Days to a Happier Life, you’ll learn a proven path to enjoying more serenity, clarity, and joy—no matter what’s happening in your life or how much “noise” you have in your head.

I’ll dive more into meditation practices—and guide you through several short but powerful meditations you can do just about anywhere.

Meditation is just one of the many happiness habits I’ll teach you in this program. From body exercises to visualizations to fun practices you can build right into your day—and even do with your kids—you’ll have a happiness cheat sheet you won’t want to live without.

You’ll also learn how to harness the life-changing power of intuition, so that you can confidently make decisions, choose your purpose in life, and even find your soul mate. Your intuition has always been with you—and I’m going to help you access it.

The beauty of this program is that you’ll get a short, bite-sized video every day that is actually fun to watch, so that by the time you reach the end of the month, you’ve developed happiness habits—ones you’ll actually stick to!

These are the very same practices I use that allow me to stay grounded and happy in my own life, even when my next meditation retreat is months away.

Once you feel for yourself how much happier a meditation practice makes you, you’ll treat it just like you do brushing your teeth.

With love and happiness,

P.S. Mother Teresa said there is a hunger in the west—a hunger for spirit.

Of all the thousands of people I’ve interviewed, the happiest are those who are connected to spirit. When you meditate, you plug into spirit and supercharge your happiness: