The last year or so has been incredibly chaotic. Between work, family, and other things, life has gotten very busy. This is the way of a lot of people in America. We move at lightning speed from one thing to another, never stopping.

As a result, it has created inner turmoil for me. A lot of days my mind feels just as chaotic as a thunderstorm blowing through but never actually passing by.

For a little over a year, now, I’ve engaged in the practice of meditation, which has helped out a lot. Meditation is a practice that has somewhat been lost in our fast-paced modern culture, but it's making a bit of a comeback. I think a lot of people are starting to realize the importance of slowing down.

And you don't have to necessarily be a spiritual person for meditation to be effective. It's just a simple matter of implementing some meditation practice in your daily life.

Here are a few tips to help you easily and effectively implement meditative practices in your daily life.

Pick a key word or phrase

Often, I will take my meditative focus from my daily Bible reading. If I read something that really jumps out to me, I focus on it during the meditation time.

It doesn't always have to come from my daily reading, though. A lot of times I will have key ideas that I've noticed I need more of. For example, peace has been a key concept for me a lot lately. So, as I meditate, I focus on the word peace.

Sometimes I will use verses connected to that. Some of my favorites have been from 2 Corinthians 12 when God tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient, for you my power is made perfect in weakness.” Or the simple phrase from Psalms: “Be still and know that I'm God.”

Get comfortable.

Sit down somewhere comfortable. It's usually pretty good to sit on a cushion or a pillow. I like to sit on a couple of pillows with my legs crossed and my hands either in my lap or on my knees.

I'll put some ambient music on to help me focus. You can find some meditation playlists online. I also like to use nature sounds, like a crackling fire or thunderstorm, which is my favorite.

This sets a contemplative mood to help you focus.

Meditate.

Set a timer to control your time, maybe start out with five or ten minutes. Close your eyes and focus on the phrase you chose.

It's not as easy as it sounds, though. You'll probably notice as you start to do this that your mind tends to wander. I often think about things that I should be doing instead or any number of things. My mind wanders a lot. If that happens, don't worry, don't stress, don't get upset. Come back to your phrase. That’s why you have it. It helps you center your mind back.

As I've continued to practice meditation, it’s become a very important part of my day. It helps clear my mind and helps ease my stress or anxiety. I notice the difference in days when I don’t do it. I’ve even found that throughout my day if things start to get tense, I just stop and take a deep breath or two and spend a few moments focusing on my meditative idea for the day.

Do you practice meditation? What are some things that work for you?