Meditation helps you train your self-discipline by forcing you to focus only on your breath. It also teaches you how to resist distractions and live in the present moment. If you want to begin meditating, start small with 5-minute long sessions. Soon, you’ll be able to keep your focus for longer than just 20 seconds or so.

How do you exactly meditate? While you can read a book or two about different types of meditation, it’s not necessary for self-discipline purposes. The key in meditation is to focus on the present moment and sensations traveling through your body while you sit still.

Here’s a simple step-by-step explanation of how to do it.

1. Sit still in a comfortable position. Don’t stand up, don’t lie down – sit with an upright posture. Forget about the cross-legged lotus position you know from movies unless you’re super flexible. The three most common positions for beginners are: - sitting at the edge of the chair with your back straight. Yes, it can be as simple as that. No need for exotic positions. - sitting cross-legged. It’s easy and common among beginners, but I find it too straining for my back. Hence I prefer the third option… - seiza position. Fold your legs underneath your thighs and rest your buttocks on your heels. For more comfort, you can put a pillow under your rear. You can use a simple app to limit your session to five minutes or set an alarm on your phone (just don’t use an obnoxious, loud alarm that will give you a heart attack).

2. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Simple counting – one (inhale), two (exhale), one (inhale), two (exhale) works best. You can also count each breath until you reach 100. At first, don’t expect to reach more than 20 before you lose your concentration. Once you get better, you can stop counting your breaths and focus on the general feeling in your body.

3. Focus on the sensations in your body as you inhale and exhale. Start from your feet and go upward, trying to relax every little muscle. You’ll be surprised how much tension you store in certain parts of your body – including tension in the places you weren’t aware of before, such as your chin. If you lose your focus, bring it back to your breath and the sensations in your body. You’re not doing anything wrong if you lose your focus – it’s a part of the process.

Repeat the practice every single day. Morning works best for most people, but it doesn’t matter when you do it as long as you keep it a part of your routine. Don’t make your sessions longer until you become comfortable sitting still for five minutes. It’s better to add an additional minute every other week or so, rather than get discouraged when you transition to fifteen minutes and find yourself unable to focus.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.