7-minute softening meditation for the afternoon slump, in a five-minute break

About this practice

7 minutes to meet the afternoon slump with less of a fight. A softening practice, in a five-minute break. A guided session of about 7 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: the afternoon slump

The post-lunch dip is a normal circadian low, not a failure of willpower. Core temperature and alertness both dip in the early afternoon.

It tends to show up as:

• Heavy, foggy middle of the day
• Struggling to stay with anything
• Reaching for sugar or caffeine

The dip is temporary. A short practice gets you through the low without adding stimulants on top of it.

Doing this on a break

• Leave the room if you can
• Do not start anything else in the same gap
• Set a timer so the break has an end

A break spent half-engaged with a screen is not much of a break. Guard the whole five minutes.

How softening works

Softening is the practice of releasing held tension degree by degree rather than all at once. It targets the physical grip — shoulders, jaw, gut — that persists long after the stressor has passed.

• Soften one place per exhale rather than everything at once
• Let warmth and gravity do the work instead of muscular effort
• If a place will not soften, leave it and go somewhere that will

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Notice whether you're leaning forward. Most people are, slightly, all day.
2. 0:12With every out-breath, soften one place. Shoulders first, then jaw, then the space behind the eyes.
3. 0:27Let the breath get a little quieter, as if you were trying not to wake someone sleeping nearby.
4. 0:43Let your body be exactly as tired as it is.
5. 0:55Notice how many breaths you take in a minute. Don't change the number, just check.
6. 1:09Let the breath move at the speed of a sleeping person.
7. 1:21Now the right shoulder. Let it be a centimetre lower than it was.
8. 1:34Feel your palms. Warm or cool, either is fine.
9. 1:45Feel your knees. They're just hinges, but they've worked hard.
10. 1:57Say to yourself: this is uncomfortable, and I can stay with it for one more breath. Then take that breath.
11. 2:14You do not have to solve the 3pm dip in these few minutes. Your only job is to keep breathing while it is here.
12. 2:33Notice your elbows. Odd things to have, but there they are.
13. 2:45Take the next breath slowly.
14. 2:54Let each breath out be a small letting go of the muscles around your ribs.
15. 3:08Feel the middle of your back, the part that never gets attention.
16. 3:21Notice how quickly your mind labels things: good, bad, boring, nice.
17. 3:33A short silence. Let it be empty.
18. 3:43If a place will not soften, leave it alone and go somewhere that will. It often follows.
19. 3:58Notice any tension that arrived while you weren't looking.
20. 4:09Feel the pause at the top of the in-breath. It's shorter than you think.
21. 4:23Pause here. Count three breaths if you need an anchor.
22. 4:35You have been carrying the post-lunch fog for a while. You can set it down for the length of this session and pick it up after.
23. 4:54Each time your mind hands you the heavy middle of the day, treat it like a leaf on a stream. Present for a moment, then carried on.
24. 5:14Feel the slight stretch at the very bottom of the exhale.
25. 5:26Notice if you're waiting for something to happen. Nothing is scheduled.
26. 5:38If you feel numb, that's a valid thing to feel. Nothing to fix.
27. 5:51A few quiet breaths. That's all this is.
28. 6:02Find the tightest place and simply breathe near it. Warmth does the softening, not effort.
29. 6:16Let your eyes open when they're ready, not when the words end.
30. 6:29Let the last minute of quiet be the last minute of quiet.

Questions people ask

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