Meditation helps you increase self-awareness, manage anxiety, reduce negative emotions and improve your patience and tolerance. If you’ve just started to discover the huge benefits of meditation, you may also be wondering when is the best time to meditate?

While meditating at any time of day has benefits, it’s important to consider your lifestyle to make it work for you. According to research, we spend 46.9% of our waking hours thinking about something other than the task in front of us.

If you constantly reflect on the past and worry about the future, meditation is a way to re-wire your brain to focus on the now.

Best Time to Meditate

Morning is a great time to meditate because it’s quiet and has fewer distractions. Getting it done early, also ensures you tick it off your to-do list. Leaving it till later means it can easily get pushed aside and forgotten about.

Plus, morning meditation sets a calming tone for the day, making you feel great and ready to handle anything that life throws at you. If morning meditation doesn’t work for you, try meditating:

• After work. If your work is mentally draining or physically challenging, winding down with a meditation session could be ideal.
• At lunchtime. Meditation at lunchtime can give a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of a busy job.
• Before bed. A busy life with kids, work, studying and social events may mean meditating before bed works for you.

How to Fit Meditation into a Busy Schedule

Setting aside time each day to meditate, is key to building a habit, so you can start to feel the benefits. Aim to make it an essential part of your schedule like brushing your teeth and you’ll start to do it without thinking. One way to turn meditation into a non-negotiable is to relate it to an activity. Some ideas include:

Tea Meditation

If you struggle with normal meditation, tea meditation is an option. Even making a cup of tea can be treated as part of your practice. Start by selecting the type of tea you’ll drink.

Try not to overthink, but choose the first tea that comes to mind.

Start boiling the water for your tea and find a quiet place to sit. Gently close your eyes and start to focus on your inhale and exhale. Start to notice how your body feels.

Bring your attention back to the now and pour the boiled water over your tea bag. Notice how the steam begins to rise from your cup. Let the tea rest and sit back down in a comfortable position.

Pick up your tea and take the first sip. Continue to take sips while focusing on the sensations throughout your body.

Shower Meditation

A short meditation in the shower is a way to unwind after a hectic day. Leave your phone out of the room, light some candles, and get the lavender body wash ready.

Turn the shower on. Step in and just enjoy the warm feeling around your body. Close your eyes and start to focus on your breathing. Take control by breathing in for 5 counts, holding for 5, and letting it go for 5.

Notice how each droplet of water feels on your skin. As water flows away, imagine this is the troubles of the day leaving you. Take your shower gel and start to wash your body, working your way downwards, pushing away stress and tension with each stroke.

Incorporate the soothing sounds from the BetterSleep app into your meditation sessions. Peaceful music helps to cancel out any distractions around you, creating the perfect meditation soundscape.