If you’re wondering how to make time for spiritual practice in a busy life, this post is for you. We live in a world that idolises busyness. To be busy is to be productive. To be productive is to be successful. And to be successful is… what?
- Exhausting?
- Stressful?
- Not really what you expected it to be?
If you can tick off any of the bullet points above, you need to read this article.
It’s easy to find yourself swept along by the momentum of your to-do list. Whether you’re juggling work, family, creative projects, or simply trying to stay afloat in a noisy world, spiritual practice can slip down the list – or fall off entirely.
But here’s the truth: taking time to nourish your soul isn’t a luxury. It’s a return to alignment. It’s a moment of remembering who you really are beyond the schedule, beyond the stress, beyond the roles you play.
You are an eternal, unlimited creative being having a human experience for the benefit of growth. You cannot ‘die’ you are eternal. But you have forgotten this, and until you remember, nothing will quite live up to your expectations.
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is pause and reconnect to your true self.
In this article, we’ll explore how to make space for spiritual practice in your daily life – even when time feels short and life feels full.
Why spiritual practice matters in a busy world
When we act without inner alignment, life can feel like a battle – like swimming upstream against an invisible current. But when we take the time to connect inwardly, our actions become inspired. They flow more easily. They create more impact with less effort. Inspired action attracts the attention of the universal forces which are set to react to alignment and they make things flow more easily in the direction you want. That’s how the Law of Attraction works.
This isn’t just poetic philosophy – it’s practical energy work.
From busy action to inspired spiritual practice
There’s a difference between “getting things done” and doing things from a place of connection.
When we act purely from the mind – rushing, pushing, striving – we often feel depleted. But when we act from a place of inner stillness, we open the door to something greater. We begin to move with the rhythm of life rather than against it.
“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”
– Rumi
Inspired action isn’t always louder or bolder. But it’s aligned. It’s rooted in clarity, not chaos. And often, it leads to far greater results with less struggle.
“You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day — unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.”
– Zen proverb
We laugh at this because we recognise the truth of it. When life feels frantic, we tend to drop the very things that keep us centred. But spiritual practice – whether it’s meditation, prayer, journaling, breathwork, or mindful stillness – acts as a reset button for your nervous system, your mindset, and your energy field.
The myth of “not having enough time”
Let’s address it honestly: we’re all busy. The world is fast. There are a million things we could do and a billion that we think we should do.
OK, maybe that’s a little overexaggeration but the truth is, you’re doing your best. That’s all anyone can expect, and the universe doesn’t even expect that! Yes – you heard that correctly. There is NOTHING that the universe requires you to do, ever. It knows you are perfect just as you are. But it YOU want to grow and experience more, then you can do that if you choose.
So how do we find time for the sacred when there’s barely time for coffee?
It starts with a shift in perception.
Spiritual practice doesn’t need incense and an hour of silence. It doesn’t even need a full morning routine. What it needs is your presence – and your willingness to give just a few moments of your day to your inner self.
I’m like you, I get up with lots of good intentions, and the world bustles into my head and my day before I’ve even put my slippers on! But I know that the choice and the power to resist lies within my hands. I can give in to the pressure or I can choose another path. And in my ‘old age'(!) I’ve decided to do the latter.
How to make time for spiritual practice (even on busy days)
Here are some soul-friendly suggestions to help you build spiritual practice into your day – even when time is tight. No! – especially when time is tight!
1. Start with one minute
If one minute is all you have, use it. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Repeat a mantra like “I am safe”, “I am enough” or “I am an unlimited, creative being.”
One minute of awareness is worth more than ten minutes of mindless scrolling.
2. Anchor a practice to an existing habit
Pair your spiritual check-in with something you already do daily:
- While the kettle boils, take 3 conscious breaths
- Before you open your laptop, place your hand on your heart and set an intention
- While brushing your teeth, repeat a gratitude phrase in your mind
- When you look in the mirror, remind yourself you are enough
3. Create a pocket of peace
Choose one moment in the day to be fully yours. It could be early morning, a quiet lunch break, or five minutes before bed. Mark it out. Protect it. Make it sacred. Carry a small book of wisdom or some of your favourite quotes to remind you at different times of the day. And yes – even a toilet break can be a moment to pause and reconnect to your peace.
4. Use technology with intention
Set a gentle phone reminder: “Breathe more deeply and let your shoulders relax.”
Use an app like Insight Timer for a short guided meditation you can use anywhere.
Change your lock screen to an affirmation or image that brings you back to centre.
5. Let nature do the heavy lifting
Take a mindful walk. Sit under a tree. Look at the sky for one full minute. Nature has a way of tuning us back into Source without needing words.
6. Practise presence in the everyday
Washing dishes? Let it be a meditation and do it mindfully.
Driving? Use the time to ground yourself with each breath. (Don’t meditate while driving though!!)
Even moments of mundane activity can become sacred with a shift in awareness.
The gentle truth: You are already spiritual
One last thing to remember – you don’t have to become more spiritual. You already are. Remmeber – YOU are a spiritual being having a human experience, not the other way around.
Your soul is always there, always loving, always guiding.
You don’t need to be perfect, zen, or enlightened. You just need to pause, and remember.
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.”
– Rumi
One last thought…
Spiritual practice should not just be another task on your list. It’s the space between tasks. It’s the breath before the next step. It’s the moment where you remember that you are not just doing – you are being. And as I’ve said before, that’s all you need to be… YOU!
Even in a busy day, there is always a moment of stillness waiting for you to return to it.
So take a breath now. Close your eyes. Say hello to your soul and carry that light into whatever comes next.
Have a blessed and blissful day.
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I love your suggestions of using your daily tasks like driving or washing dishes to do your spiritual practice. The trick is now remembering to do them when you do these mundane things, because this would probably be the ideal time to get some mindfulness in.
I think the trick is trying to make it a habit so that eventually doing a certain task automatically triggers certain behaviors. Maybe until it becomes a habit I am going to look for a decent app to remind me on my phone, or maybe even more effective, stick up a note in front of my sink and my car.
Hi Michel. Great to see you again and I’m so pleased you found the post useful. I love your ideas about sticking up some notes to remind you and there are plenty of apps that can do that too. I think though, that as you get into the habit of doing these things, you will actually want to do them more and you will feel that inner push to do them anyway. That’s what I’ve found. I feel upset now if I don’t check in with my inner self at least once or twice a day, and I probably do it all the time. In fact, I know I do. It could just be a ‘thank you’ or a moment of gratitude for something small, noticing the flowers (yes I do smell the roses!) or taking a deep breath and reminding myself that I am enough. That’s pretty much how I get through my day! All the best Michel. In love and light. Gail
Very inspiring post!! Yes, we live in a busy, noisy, and at times, a very chaotic world. It seems it does come down to what we choose to commit to. Our kids have piano lessons, soccer practice and games, music recitals, slumber parties, and so on. We as adults and parents even are “committed” to bowling leagues, softball, and even attending our children’s activities. But don’t get me wrong!! All of those activities are important in their own special way. We seem to commit ourselves to so many “distractions” that we finally should say, “Enough”. As you stated, we all have at least one moment to kick back and self-reflect on our “busy” lives. One thing is probably the most important thing to do is involve God in our one precious moment, too. Thank you for a very well-written post!!
Best wishes,
Kent
Hi there Kent. Thanks for taking time out to read the article and leave your comments. I totally agree that for me at least, the most important thing is to stop and acknowledge our place within God’s universe. The Divine is all there is, and all the rest of the noise is a distraction from the truth. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy what we have created, because we should. But we need to acknowledge who we really are first, and that everything else is subsequent to that. Have a blessed day. Gail