sleep · 3 min
3-minute gratitude meditation for insomnia, on your commute
When insomnia shows up on your commute, this 3-minute gratitude session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Press start. This is a quiet space — no music, no ads, just a voice and some room to breathe.
A quiet voice reads the session aloud in your browser — nothing is recorded. You can switch the voice off and follow the text instead.
About this practice
When insomnia shows up on your commute, this 3-minute gratitude session gives you somewhere to put it down. A guided session of about 3 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.
What this works on: insomnia
Insomnia is often maintained by the fear of not sleeping. Anticipating a bad night raises arousal at bedtime, which produces the bad night.
It tends to show up as:
- Dreading bedtime
- Hours awake with a busy mind
- Sleeping worse as the week goes on
Removing the pressure to sleep is the active ingredient. This gives you something to do that is not trying.
Doing this on your commute
- Headphones on, eyes open or closed depending on your comfort
- Keep one part of your attention on your stop
- Do it standing if sitting is not possible — nobody is watching
Commuting time is already dead time. Nothing is being given up.
How gratitude works
Gratitude here is an attention practice, not a demand for a positive mood. Attention defaults to threats because they are urgent, so pleasant and ordinary things get skipped simply for being safe.
- Pick one ordinary thing rather than something impressive
- Stay with it for two breaths — depth beats length of list
- Do not aim at feeling grateful; aim at noticing
What happens, minute by minute
- 0:00Start with the noise that is already in the room. We are not going to try to remove it yet.
- 0:17Pick one ordinary thing from today — a warm drink, a dry walk, a message — and let it count.
- 0:34Imagine your thoughts as traffic on a road you're standing beside. You don't have to flag any of it down.
- 0:51Notice where you feel the breath most clearly. Nose, chest, or belly — pick one and stay there.
- 1:07Let each breath out be a small letting go of the muscles around your ribs.
- 1:21Let the whole of your right foot be heavy.
- 1:32When the frustration of not sleeping arrives, name it once, quietly, and go back to the breath. Naming is not fixing, and that is fine.
- 1:51If you catch yourself fighting the wide-awake mind at 2am, that is worth noticing. The fight usually costs more than the feeling.
- 2:09Feel your breath move down your back, all the way to your lower ribs.
- 2:23Say to yourself: this is uncomfortable, and I can stay with it for one more breath. Then take that breath.
- 2:40Notice the pull to make this mean something. It doesn't have to.
- 2:53Stay with it for two breaths. Gratitude deepens by staying, not by listing.
- 3:06Before you move, notice one thing that's fine right now.
Questions people ask
What does this session help with?
Insomnia is often maintained by the fear of not sleeping. Anticipating a bad night raises arousal at bedtime, which produces the bad night. Removing the pressure to sleep is the active ingredient. This gives you something to do that is not trying.
Where and when should I do this one?
Headphones on, eyes open or closed depending on your comfort. Commuting time is already dead time. Nothing is being given up.
What actually happens during the 3 minutes?
Gratitude here is an attention practice, not a demand for a positive mood. Attention defaults to threats because they are urgent, so pleasant and ordinary things get skipped simply for being safe.
Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.
If this one is not quite right, try Low energy: 3-minute grounding meditation, before bed, 20-minute guided letting go practice for self-doubt — when nothing went right or Body scan for appreciation: 20 minutes, on a meeting break.