body · 7 min
7-minute guided grounding practice for jaw tension — in the hour before an interview
When jaw tension shows up in the hour before an interview, this 7-minute grounding 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 jaw tension shows up in the hour before an interview, this 7-minute grounding session gives you somewhere to put it down. A guided session of about 7 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.
What this works on: jaw tension
The jaw is a stress-holding site for many people, often without awareness until it aches. Grinding at night and clenching by day are the same response.
It tends to show up as:
- Clenched teeth, especially in the evening
- Aching or clicking jaw joints
- A dull headache at the temples
Repeatedly checking and softening the jaw through a session teaches you to catch the clench during the day.
Doing this before an interview
- Do it where you will not be interrupted, even if that is a stairwell
- Have the first sentence of your answer ready afterwards
- Keep it short — there is no time for a long session
Nerves before an interview are normal and not something to eliminate. You need access to what you know, nothing more.
How grounding works
Grounding brings attention to physical contact and the immediate environment. It works on the principle that the body cannot be somewhere else, so contact with the surface you are on is always available as an anchor.
- Feel the contact points — feet, seat, back — and let them take your weight
- Use the senses deliberately: what you can see, hear, touch
- Return to solidity whenever attention drifts
What happens, minute by minute
- 0:00Notice the heaviest part of your body right now. Let it be heavy.
- 0:13Press down slightly and feel the push back. Your body already knows where it is.
- 0:27Notice your own pulse somewhere. Wrist, throat, wherever you can find it.
- 0:40For the next few minutes, the only job is to notice what's already happening.
- 0:54Let the exhale fall out rather than pushing it.
- 1:05Feel the air move past your upper lip. It's the coolest spot on the way in.
- 1:20Notice your shoulders, one at a time. The left one first.
- 1:32Let the whole of your left foot be heavy.
- 1:43Feel your face. It's probably softer than it was five minutes ago.
- 1:56If the tight jaw that speaks for your stress shows up, let it be there without arguing with it. You are not trying to remove it, just to sit beside it.
- 2:18Picture the grinding that follows worry as a weather front passing over. You are not the weather. You are the sky it moves through.
- 2:37Feel the tops of your thighs.
- 2:47Stay here a little longer.
- 2:56Let the in-breath be short and the out-breath unhurried.
- 3:07Notice if you're waiting for something to happen. Nothing is scheduled.
- 3:19A few quiet breaths. That's all this is.
- 3:30If your mind has gone somewhere else, the floor under you has not moved. Start from there.
- 3:45If you feel emotional, you don't have to explain it to anyone, including yourself.
- 3:59Feel the air as it passes the back of your throat. It's cooler going in.
- 4:13Silence for a few breaths. Nothing to do in it.
- 4:25the clenched teeth at night may quiet down, or it may not. Either is fine. We are practising staying, not performing calm.
- 4:43You are allowed to be unimpressed by the tight jaw that speaks for your stress. Indifference is a legitimate response.
- 5:00Feel the pause at the top of the in-breath. It's shorter than you think.
- 5:14Your mind will leave about a hundred times. Come back about a hundred times.
- 5:28Notice how you're sitting. Adjust if you need to. Then settle again.
- 5:41Let's pause. Just the breathing for a while.
- 5:52Come back to the solid things: weight, temperature, surface. They are always available.
- 6:05Before you open your eyes, notice how you feel compared to the start. It might be small.
- 6:20Let the last of the stillness stay with you for a few more seconds.
- 6:34Keep following the air.
Questions people ask
What does this session help with?
The jaw is a stress-holding site for many people, often without awareness until it aches. Grinding at night and clenching by day are the same response. Repeatedly checking and softening the jaw through a session teaches you to catch the clench during the day.
Where and when should I do this one?
Do it where you will not be interrupted, even if that is a stairwell. Nerves before an interview are normal and not something to eliminate. You need access to what you know, nothing more.
What actually happens during the 7 minutes?
Grounding brings attention to physical contact and the immediate environment. It works on the principle that the body cannot be somewhere else, so contact with the surface you are on is always available as an anchor.
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 Jaw tension: 5-minute noting meditation, on a rest day, Meditation for concentration: 15-minute self-compassion session, on a train or Meditation for morning energy: 20-minute self-compassion session, on a train journey.