10-minute guided letting go practice

About this practice

10-minute guided letting go practice for pre-meeting nerves. A calming session for the office. A guided session of about 10 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: test anxiety

Under exam pressure the working memory narrows. That is why material you knew yesterday can go blank: the retrieval system is not broken, it is crowded.

It tends to show up as:

• Going blank when the paper is in front of you
• Rushing and misreading questions
• Physical tension in the neck and hands

A short practice before starting lowers arousal enough for recall to work. The goal is access, not calm.

Doing this at your desk

• Feet flat, back supported, screen away from your eyeline
• You can do this with your eyes open if the office makes closing them awkward
• Unclench the jaw and drop the shoulders first, before anything else

Nobody needs to know you are doing it. Keep it invisible if that makes it possible.

How letting go works

Letting go is about loosening grip rather than dropping things. It works on the effort attached to a problem — the holding, rehearsing and bracing — which is separable from the problem itself.

• Pick one thing you are gripping and loosen a single finger
• Release the effort with the exhale, not the issue
• Set down temporarily; you can pick it up again after

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Start with the noise that is already in the room. We are not going to try to remove it yet.
2. 0:17Pick one thing you're holding tight — a concern, a to-do, a lingering thought — and let it go a little.
3. 0:33You can close your eyes now if they weren't already.
4. 0:45Notice the subtle movements your body makes to stay alert. They're there, even when you're not thinking about them.
5. 0:59Let the out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath, naturally.
6. 1:12Let your chest expand on the in-breath, not your shoulders.
7. 1:25Acknowledge where your body is still tense. Don't force it to relax.
8. 1:37Observe your breathing, without trying to alter it.
9. 1:47Feel the weight of your feet on the ground. All your weight is supported by them.
10. 2:01Observe your lower back. Allow it to move in its own way.
11. 2:13The anxiety about the upcoming meeting might ease, or it might not. Either outcome is acceptable. We're practicing being present, not striving for calm.
12. 2:31You don't have to appreciate the pre-meeting jitters to breathe through them. Enjoyment is not a prerequisite.
13. 2:48If your mind is already planning the next agenda item, that item will still be there.
14. 3:03We're not resolving anything in the next few minutes. We're setting it aside, for now.
15. 3:18I'll be quiet for a moment. Stay with the breath.
16. 3:30If a sound distracts you, let it be the focus for a moment.
17. 3:44Consider what you could release for the next minute. That's a good place to start.
18. 4:00A few quiet breaths. That's all this is.
19. 4:11Avoid the urge to make this session mean more than it does.
20. 4:24With each exhale, release a bit of the tension, not the issue — just the tension.
21. 4:39I'll pause for a moment. Take the break at your own pace.
22. 4:52Notice the brief pause after each exhale. Rest there for a moment.
23. 5:05Keep your focus on the flow of your breath.
24. 5:14Feel your elbows. They're simple joints, yet they've been working hard.
25. 5:26Count down from ten, one number per exhale.
26. 5:37Take the next breath deliberately.
27. 5:46Observe your fingers, one by one, starting with the little finger.
28. 5:58Keep your shoulders steady while your chest moves.
29. 6:09Stay here for a few more breaths.
30. 6:19Feel the base of your skull. It's a spot that can hold a lot of tension.
31. 6:32Feel the air pass over your upper lip. It's a cool spot on the way in.
32. 6:47Pause here. Count three breaths if you need a moment.
33. 6:59If the sense of emptiness when you're about to speak has been with you all day, it might be weary too. Let it rest with you.
34. 7:19Observe the space around the anxiety about forgetting your points. It's there, even if it's small. Place your attention there.
35. 7:37Observe how many breaths you take in a minute. Don't alter the number, just notice it.
36. 7:51If the pre-meeting anxiety starts spinning a tale, let the story unfold without your input.
37. 8:08Observe any urge to check something. You can wait two more minutes.
38. 8:21If nothing much is happening, that's not an issue. Nothing much can be the point.
39. 8:35I'll step back. You stay here.
40. 8:45Putting something down is not the same as throwing it away. You can pick it up again later.
41. 9:00There's no need to rush to the next task.
42. 9:09Let your breathing return to its usual rhythm.
43. 9:19Notice if you feel any different. If not, that's perfectly fine.
44. 9:31Let the quietness work its magic.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.