Gratitude for fatigue: 7 minutes, on a plane

About this practice

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 7 minutes of gratitude for fatigue, on a plane. A guided session of about 7 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: fatigue

Fatigue is deep tiredness of the kind that sleep does not fully clear, usually after a stretch of sustained demand.

It tends to show up as:

• Tired behind the eyes all day
• Heavy limbs
• Rest that does not refresh

Here the practice should be restful rather than stimulating. Quiet and unambitious is the right dose.

Doing this on a plane

• Use headphones, and keep the seatbelt on
• Bring a layer — being cold works against settling
• Skip alcohol; it makes the alertness worse

Cabin noise is constant and will mask the audio more than you expect. Try the headphones before you settle in.

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

1. 0:00Let your tongue rest down, away from the roof of your mouth.
2. 0:13If nothing comes, notice that something did not go wrong. That also counts.
3. 0:26We're going to let the body lead and the mind follow for a while.
4. 0:40We'll be quiet for a bit longer than usual. Stay with whatever shows up.
5. 0:54Let the breath get soft, the way it goes when someone is reading beside you.
6. 1:08Breathe as if you had all evening. There's no rush in this part.
7. 1:21Notice the backs of your knees, which you feel more than you think.
8. 1:34Feel your upper back against whatever is behind it.
9. 1:45Notice your wrists. They bend a lot in a day.
10. 1:57If the end of the reserves starts telling you a story, let the story finish without you adding to it.
11. 2:14When the bone-deep tiredness arrives, name it once, quietly, and go back to the breath. Naming is not fixing, and that is fine.
12. 2:32Feel your ankles. Let them be loose.
13. 2:42No need to open your eyes yet.
14. 2:52Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose, if that's comfortable.
15. 3:05Feel your face. It's probably softer than it was five minutes ago.
16. 3:18Notice if you're waiting for something to happen. Nothing is scheduled.
17. 3:30Quiet now. The next part will wait for you.
18. 3:41There is no need to feel grateful. Just look, and see what is actually there.
19. 3:55Notice the exact moment your attention left. You probably won't catch it. That's normal.
20. 4:09Let the exhale empty you a little more than usual, but not to the point of strain.
21. 4:24No words for a moment. Only the next breath.
22. 4:35Feel the weight of the heaviness behind your eyes somewhere specific, then let the floor take a share of it.
23. 4:52Whatever the end of the reserves is doing right now, your breathing can keep going underneath it.
24. 5:07Let your shoulders stay still while your ribs move.
25. 5:18Your mind will leave about a hundred times. Come back about a hundred times.
26. 5:32Notice how you're sitting. Adjust if you need to. Then settle again.
27. 5:45Pause here. Count three breaths if you need an anchor.
28. 5:57Stay with it for two breaths. Gratitude deepens by staying, not by listing.
29. 6:10Notice your feet on the floor. That's where you start from.
30. 6:22Let the last minute of quiet be the last minute of quiet.
31. 6:35Stay a moment longer than is comfortable.

Questions people ask

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