One of the things you’ll constantly hear me say on this blog is that you don’t need to meditate for hours at a time, day after day, to get the benefits of meditation. Is that really true, though? Can just a small amount of meditation produce lasting benefits. One comparison I like to frequently use is exercise. Surely, 10 minutes of jogging is not going to be as effective as 30 minutes, but if you only have the choice of 10 minutes or nothing, isn’t 10 minutes still better?

Here’s another example: Suppose you have one good habit, like eating healthy, but you also have one bad habit, like smoking. Should you forgo eating healthy just because you have another habit that contradicts it? In other words, should everything you do in life be all or nothing? There’s something heroic and romantic about an “all or nothing” attitude, but it’s not a very rational approach to life.

In the real world, it is unlikely you will be presented with optimal situations. Maybe it would be great if you could devote an hour every day to meditation, but it just isn’t realistic. On the other hand, 10 or 20 minutes a day, or even a few times a week, might be very achievable, and according to new research, would actually do you some good.

A newly published study found that even small amounts of meditation — about 15 minutes per day — can help you make smarter decision. This is because people, who meditate, even a small amount, spend more time in the present moment, and less time in the past and the future. The result of this is that they spend less time fretting, and ultimately less time dwelling on negative emotions that cloud their judgment.

So, there you have it. If you’ve been wondering if a little bit of meditation is actually worth it, the answer is: Yes, it is!

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