Many people believe that meditation requires long periods of stillness, a quiet room and the ability to completely ‘switch off’. These expectations often become barriers that prevent people from starting. For nurses and midwives who balance shift work with managing personal responsibilities, and constantly experience demanding clinical environments (Booker et al., 2024, Small et al., 2025 & Holland et al., 2019), the nervous system is often exposed to heightened stimulation and cumulative stress.

Meditation has become an increasingly recognised complementary practice with growing evidence supporting its role in emotional regulation, stress management and overall wellbeing (Cheng et al., 2025). As an easily accessible and supportive practice, meditation may help provide nervous system support both in and out of the workplace when practiced regularly.

A common misunderstanding is that meditation sessions must be long to be effective. However, shorter practices performed more consistently are often more beneficial and sustainable than the occasional long session (Cheng et al., 2025).

For beginners, a great schedule to work to is:

• 5 minutes per day
• 3-5 times per week

You should also try to practice around the same time each day to help establish a consistent schedule. As meditation begins to feel more familiar and supportive, you may notice the duration naturally increases over time.

Nurses and midwives are often familiar with the importance of structure in achieving the best outcomes, and meditation can benefit from a similar approach. A simple structure for beginner meditation may include:

• Finding a comfortable position
• Bringing gentle awareness to the breath
• Practicing a meditation style that suits your needs
• Allowing time for grounding and transition afterwards

It’s often assumed that meditation needs to be practiced in a specific environment to be effective (Cheng et al., 2025). While your environment can influence comfort and focus, meditation can be practiced almost anywhere as long as the space feels safe and supportive for you (and by extension your nervous system).

At home, this can be a particular room with a lot of natural light, outdoors with fresh air or sitting comfortably on your couch or bed. In a hospital or clinical environment, meditation may take place in a designated wellbeing area, a quiet staff room or empty office, and can be done before team handover or taking a brief pause outdoors during your break.

The most important factor of meditation is safety. When your body feels safe, the nervous system is more willing to settle and makes meditation more achievable.

When practicing meditation, it’s important to choose a time that fits your lifestyle, making it easier to develop a consistent routine. Different times of the day will support different outcomes. Morning meditation can help create a gentler transition into the day before your body goes into reactive mode and demands begin. Midday meditation can help interrupt stress accumulation before further escalation. Evening mediation can assist with nervous system downregulation after the ongoing pressures throughout the day.

Meditation can be integrated into your schedule:

• Before leaving home for a shift
• On the bus, train or tram on the way to work
• In your car before entering work
• During a meal break
• Outside after a difficult shift
• In your car before beginning the journey home
• During your nighttime routine

One of the most common barriers among healthcare professionals is the feeling of being unable to “switch off”. Nurses and Midwives are often under constant pressure and juggling various personal and professional demands, causing your nervous system to be in a frequently heightened state. It’s important to recognise that meditation is not aiming to remove all of your thoughts, but instead provide an opportunity for the nervous system to settle gradually. If unpleasant or stressful thoughts arise and your mind begins to wander during your practice, this is completely normal. Acknowledge them without judgement and bring your awareness back to a point of focus, such as your breath.

Restlessness during meditation is also common and can sometimes be due to discomfort or external distractions. Positioning yourself comfortably is more important than aiming for a complex posture. If discomfort arises, allow yourself to gently reposition as needed. External distractions may also occur during your meditation. Again, this is normal. Acknowledge these without judgement and gently return your focus back to your breath.

“I keep putting it off” is another common barrier for beginners. Similar to other areas of life, we often procrastinate over things that may actually be accessible and meaningful. Behavioural science suggests that simply getting started may be one of the most important steps in achieving a goal. Choose a day to start your meditation practice and ‘just begin’. With consistency, meditation may naturally become part of your routine over time.

Another common concern is “I have tried it before and it didn't work”. It’s important to recognise that there are many meditation styles, including mindfulness, zen meditation, guided visualisation, sound-based practices, concentrative meditation and transcendental meditation. Different people respond differently depending on individual learning styles and preferences. Exploring different meditation styles may help you find an approach that feels supportive for you (Cunningham, 2018).

An often-overlooked part of meditation practice is grounding. Grounding allows you to gently return to the present moment and to transition back into your environment before sympathetic activation resumes. It’s beneficial to incorporate grounding at the end of your meditation using simple techniques that bring awareness back.

Helpful grounding techniques

• Taking several slower breaths
• Acknowledging external sounds
• Gently opening your eyes
• Noticing the light and colour around you
• Bringing awareness to your feet on the floor.

Once you feel present again, you may wish to sip water, stretch gently, or step outside briefly. For individuals who are frequently overstimulated or working in high pressure roles, grounding is an important and highly encouraged part of the meditation process.

While meditation can be practiced independently, beginners or those requiring additional support may benefit from guidance from a qualified meditation teacher or practitioner. A meditation teacher may also help tailor practices to suit holistic needs, rather than using a general ‘one size fits all’ approach. This can be particularly useful for beginners and individuals experiencing stress or burnout.

Emerging evidence also highlights that while meditation is often used to support wellbeing, some individuals report adverse effects, particularly those with significant mental health concerns or trauma (Cheng et al., 2025 & Davies et al., 2026). Guidance from a qualified meditation teacher can help ensure meditation is practiced safely and appropriately.

If at any time your practice feels overwhelming or unsettling, seek professional support and/or assistance.

Meditation does not need to be perfect and does not require complete silence or stillness. What’s important is creating small moments of intentional practice that build consistency and support regulation over time.

Disclaimer: Meditation practices are complementary wellbeing strategies and do not replace professional medical advice, psychological support or mental health treatment.

As a former Registered Nurse (both in the UK and Australia) and Registered Paramedic (previously working on the frontline in Australia), Sophie Griffith’s founded The Calm Collab to support healthcare professionals and those in high pressure roles with practical nervous system support and wellbeing tools.