Meditation for the afternoon slump: 12-minute letting go session, before an interview

About this practice

Slow, spoken guidance for the afternoon slump. A letting go session you can do before an interview. A guided session of about 12 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 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 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. 0:00Unclench your jaw. You were probably holding it without noticing.
2. 0:12We'll take this slowly, and there's no version of this where you get it wrong.
3. 0:26We'll work through this slowly. If you lose the thread, the thread will wait.
4. 0:40There's no correct speed. Slower isn't better. Steadier is the only aim.
5. 0:53Breathe in for four, out for six, if you'd like something to count.
6. 1:06Let your belly rise first, then your chest, then the tops of your lungs.
7. 1:20Feel the soles of your feet. All the weight of you goes through them.
8. 1:34Feel the tops of your thighs.
9. 1:44Feel the front of your chest. Notice it rise and fall once.
10. 1:57Notice your fingers, one by one, starting with the little finger.
11. 2:09When the 3pm dip presses in, put a hand on your chest or your belly. Warmth and pressure are anchors your body already trusts.
12. 2:28This is not the last time the post-lunch fog will visit. That is not bad news. It means you will get more practice.
13. 2:46Notice how many breaths you take in a minute. Don't change the number, just check.
14. 3:00If you've lost track of where we were, you haven't lost anything important.
15. 3:13We'll keep it quiet and unhurried.
16. 3:23A few quiet breaths. That's all this is.
17. 3:34If you're counting the minutes, that's fine. Count them and come back.
18. 3:47If you only manage half of it, that's half more than nothing.
19. 4:00Let's rest here in silence. It's short.
20. 4:10If your mind is quiet, don't grab at it. Quiet comes and goes too.
21. 4:24You can be as unimpressive as you like for the next few minutes.
22. 4:37I'll stop for a moment. Take the pause at your own speed.
23. 4:50Notice if you're being hard on yourself about any of this.
24. 5:02Small efforts are the whole method.
25. 5:12Pause here. Count three breaths if you need an anchor.
26. 5:24If you're irritated, that's allowed. Irritation is just weather.
27. 5:35Let this be easy, if easy is available.
28. 5:46No need to open your eyes yet.
29. 5:56Feel your face. It's probably softer than it was five minutes ago.
30. 6:09Feel the slight stretch at the very bottom of the exhale.
31. 6:21Keep following the air.
32. 6:30Notice where your body is still holding something. Leave it alone.
33. 6:42Let the breath be slow enough that you can hear it, just barely.
34. 6:55Let it be this simple.
35. 7:04Notice your ears, which mostly just receive things.
36. 7:15Let the in-breath be short and the out-breath unhurried.
37. 7:26Let the pause stretch out.
38. 7:35Notice the space between your shoulder blades.
39. 7:45Notice the small pause before your body decides to breathe in again.
40. 7:58A few seconds more.
41. 8:07Notice your ribs on both sides. Wide, not squeezed.
42. 8:18Feel the weight of the heavy middle of the day somewhere specific, then let the floor take a share of it.
43. 8:35A few seconds of nothing now. That's on purpose.
44. 8:46Remind yourself, slowly: I am safe in this moment, even while the 3pm dip is here. Safety and difficulty can share a room.
45. 9:04Follow the breath down into your belly and feel it come back up.
46. 9:17If you catch yourself fighting the post-lunch fog, that is worth noticing. The fight usually costs more than the feeling.
47. 9:34the heavy middle of the day may quiet down, or it may not. Either is fine. We are practising staying, not performing calm.
48. 9:52Notice the small gap after each exhale. Rest there for half a second.
49. 10:05Notice any tension that arrived while you weren't looking.
50. 10:16If you're replaying a conversation, let it play. It'll finish on its own.
51. 10:29I'll step back. You stay here.
52. 10:39Nothing here needs to be efficient.
53. 10:49Let this one be unhurried.
54. 10:58Come back slowly. There's no prize for finishing fast.
55. 11:09Wiggle your fingers and toes, gently, like you're testing that they still work.
56. 11:22Stay 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.