A physical reminder of what exactly you’re supposed to be doing works wonders

I am a bit of a G-Shock fan and do have a small collection. And as a result of trying out several types of vibrating watches, I’ve come to the conclusion, that the Casio G-Shock GBX-100, is the best at helping with my mindfulness training.

With the GBX being a smart watch you can link it up to the Casio ‘G-Shock Move’ app and alter all kinds of setting

You can obviously set alarms and keep the time accurate and this watch also has a useful tide graph that tells you the high and low tide times on any coast line you might choose (I’m a keen open water swimmer so like to know what the tide is doing near me). More than anything though, this watch has a training program that counts down time intervals, with a gentle vibration between each one. As you can see from the image above I currently have this watch set to five minute intervals. After each five minutes, the watch vibrates once and allows the wearer to know when each interval has passed. I find meditating for a total of twenty five minutes each day is sufficient for me. The final alert is more sustained so it’s clear when time is up.

Mindfulness training never stops being a challenge for some so we must use anything that helps

The physical vibration every five minutes is very powerful at bringing my mind back to my point of focus. Sometimes, I’m so distracted, that the moment I sit and close my eyes, my mind is off and running like a wild racehorse. I actually forget the reason I’m sitting with my legs crossed on a meditation cushion! The physicality of the vibration reminds me of my purpose so I can then bring my attention back to my chosen point of focus. I get on with my practice and improve my mental fitness.

If you would like to purchase one of these watches they can be found here (UK) or if you’re on a budget and like my NATO strap conversions (I also include the original strap) and would like help setting up your watch I might – from time to time – have one for sale on my ebay site here! (worldwide delivery). I’ve converted all my GBX-100’s to take NATO straps as I find them much more comfortable than the original.