Letting go for anxiety: 3 minutes, on the train

About this practice

For the times on the train when anxiety takes up more room than you would like — 3 minutes, letting go. A guided session of about 3 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: anxiety

Anxiety is your nervous system treating a thought as a threat. Adrenaline and cortisol rise, the heart speeds up, and the body prepares to act on a danger that is mostly in the future.

It tends to show up as:

• A tight chest or a knot in the stomach
• Feeling keyed up but unable to say why
• Checking things more than once

Slow exhaling directly signals safety to the vagus nerve, which is why breathing is the fastest route down from a spike.

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 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. 0:00If you're tired, you can let that be true. Tired is allowed here.
2. 0:13There's no need to try harder than this.
3. 0:24Let your breathing find its own pace. We're only going to watch it.
4. 0:37If you're holding your breath at the top, stop. There's no need to hold anything.
5. 0:51Notice the difference between the breath at the front of your nose and the breath in your chest.
6. 1:07Notice the small movement in your belly when you breathe.
7. 1:19Think of the hum of anxiety as a guest that arrived without knocking. You can let it stand in the hallway.
8. 1:36If the alarm in your body is loud right now, make your attention smaller. Just the next breath. Nothing beyond it.
9. 1:53Let your shoulders stay still while your ribs move.
10. 2:04Let the restless edge of worry be exactly as big as it is, and let your breath be exactly as slow as it is. They can coexist.
11. 2:24If you feel emotional, you don't have to explain it to anyone, including yourself.
12. 2:38If you only manage half of it, that's half more than nothing.
13. 2:51When you're ready, look around properly.

Questions people ask

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