Originally published on slicemiami.com
Anxiety and stress are two terms that are all too prevalent in our society, and dealing with them can sometimes seem like an impossible task on top of everything else on a daily to-do list. Luckily, helpful tools like meditation are simple to implement into any busy schedule.
Jako Hall, a captain by profession, has practised morning meditation to start his day for multiple years and can attest to its benefits. He shares helpful tips for those wanting to or currently utilising morning meditation techniques to start their day off right, tackling stress with an outlet for relief or when attempting to decrease daily feelings of anxiety.
Adjust Alarm Habits
Hitting the snooze button in the morning is a tempting action but an overall bad habit. Experts from Headspace Inc. say that the average alarm clock typically sets a snooze session for five to ten minutes before setting off the next alarm. Unfortunately, those extra few minutes of sleep can work against a snoozer’s favour as the average snooze session period is scientifically not enough time for humans to return to restorative sleep. Selecting snooze is also not the most proactive way for the brain to begin the day.
Instead of choosing snooze, try morning meditation during those extra minutes of less productive sleep. The beauty of morning meditation is that it does the exact opposite of the snooze button’s counter-productivity. Morning meditation allows the body and the mind to enter the day slowly and is a healthy form of natural energy. For those with hectic mornings or mornings spent with others involved, try setting the first alarm fifteen minutes before and take advantage of that quiet time.
Utilise Shower Time
Finding the right rhythm when adding morning meditation into a wake-up process looks different for everyone, and routines sometimes need flexibility depending on the season. These factors are why meditating first thing in the AM might not always be the answer. In fact, an adaptable morning routine is a vital relating piece in a 2018 study comparing over three hundred different morning practices of successful people.
Another way to incorporate a morning meditation into a routine, especially a crammed one, is to utilise shower time. The shower is a great place to think and focus, and it hosts the option to meditate for five to ten minutes. Meditation revolves around the idea of mindfulness, so when in the shower, practising mindfulness revolves less around centring focus on breath and more around cultivating awareness of physical sensations. The act of staying present comes with focusing on physical feelings such as how the water, standing foundation, soap, and surrounding air feels.
Take a Walk
Exercise is as essential a tactic for mental and physical health and stress relief as meditation. Starting the morning with a walk is proven productive and proactive on multiple levels if time prevails and is the perfect place to incorporate a morning meditation practice.
A ten-minute walking meditation works similarly to how a meditation session in the shower would proceed. The difference is that focus primarily includes the breath, as well. This meditation technique is an excellent solution when the mind is too busy to find stillness or clarity in sitting. While walking, start to focus the mind on the present by becoming very attentive to each breath in, then each breath out. Slowly shift focus to what feelings are becoming known to the body, such as what muscles are in use or how the surrounding air feels. Pay attention to sights and sounds. Though the walk might be ten minutes, start this mindful technique for one out of the ten minutes of the walk, and build allotted time and stamina to stay in the mindful zone from there.
About Jako Hall
Jako Hall is a skilled mariner who gained extensive experience in vessel operations, leadership, and management while serving as a naval officer for 13 years. After serving in the Combat Branch on multiple warships, Jako transitioned into the superyacht industry. Sailing many oceans and remote destinations makes him uniquely qualified to handle any challenging maritime situation.