The Best Time of Day To Meditate
The short answer is that the best time is different for every person and depends on what you’re trying to get out of meditation. If you know the reasons why you want to meditate it will help you to determine which is the best time of day to meditate for you.
Increased Focus And Concentration
How you start the day sets the tone of the day, so beginning with meditation is a great way to be more mindful, focused, and relaxed throughout the day. If you’re using meditation as a way to boost your focus and concentration for the day ahead, the best time to do that is first thing in the morning. For me meditating before breakfast, sets the tone for my day.
Work-Related Stress Relief
Once you’ve mastered meditation without distractions or high levels of stress, you can begin to use your mediation techniques even in the middle of your busy office to take just a few minutes to re-center yourself and be able to relieve the stress that’s already building up from the morning. Whether you find a quiet place to meditate during part of your lunch break or simply close your eyes and breathe at your desk for a few minutes, meditating throughout the day can help you avoid getting overwhelmed.
You may also choose to meditate at the end of the workday to relieve stress that has built up throughout the day. Meditation can be a good way to transition from work to home so that you’re not bringing all the stress of the office into your home. Ideally, you’ll want to take a few minutes to meditate just before you leave work, or as soon as you get home, to release all your negative thoughts so you can then enjoy your evening.
Falling Asleep
Because most meditation techniques are designed to help you become more aware and therefore more awake, you have to be careful to not use the same technique you’re using to stay focused at work to help you fall asleep. However, if your goal with meditation is to help you fall asleep quickly, then you’ll want to do this either right before bed, or while in bed.
If you’re not using a sleep-inducing meditation technique, then you need to avoid meditating within an hour of going to bed, since you don’t want your body to associate normal meditation with falling asleep.
Emergencies
When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or needing to make a difficult decision, these are times when you should take a few extra minutes to meditate. Although it’s easy to say that you don’t have time to meditate when you’re stressed by how much you need to get done, you’d be surprised at how much time you’ll end up saving by centering yourself for 5 minutes rather than worrying about the problem for 20 minutes.
When stuck in traffic I do “mini-meditations,” I focus on my breath for three to four inhalations, enough time to calm myself without being distracted from driving.
As you can see, there is no “best” time to meditate. I’ve formed the habit of meditating in the morning because it sets the tone for my day. Throughout the day I may do mini-meditations depending on the need and circumstance.
“Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.” — Sharon Salzberg
Meditation is a habit that may come easily to some. I have been meditating for over five years, but there were many days I found myself slipping. These days, not so much, not since I completed the no-cost Action Habits Challenge by Connie Ragen Green, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, independent publisher, and serial entrepreneur. You can check it out here.
If you’re interested in revitalizing your life through meditation and would like to learn a virtually risk-free, and cost-effective practice, that people of all ages can do with a little patience and guidance and that will serve you for the rest of your life, I would love to connect with you. You can connect with me here.
I’m Donna SLam, who loves to blog about how meditation brings self-compassion, peace of mind, and clarity to my life and others by sharing tips and strategies to live a fulfilling and purposeful life. I enjoy championing others to lead a healthy and happy life through meditation, walking, self-development, and spending time with loved ones.
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