The afternoon slump: 12-minute breathing meditation, in the office

About this practice

When the afternoon slump shows up in the office, this 12-minute breathing session gives you somewhere to put it down. 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 at your desk

• Feet flat, back supported, screen away from your eyeline
• You can do this with your eyes open if the office makes closing them awkward
• Unclench the jaw and drop the shoulders first, before anything else

Nobody needs to know you are doing it. Keep it invisible if that makes it possible.

How breathing works

A breathing practice uses the breath as the object of attention and as the control lever. Because exhaling slows the heart through the vagus nerve, it acts on the nervous system directly rather than through thinking.

• Keep the exhale longer than the inhale — that is the active ingredient
• Count the exhales and start again whenever you lose count
• Do not force depth; let the breath find its own level

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Let your belly be soft. Not sucked in. Just soft.
2. 0:12There's no need to try harder than this.
3. 0:23Nothing here needs to be pleasant. Neutral is fine. Dull is fine.
4. 0:36Notice whether your breathing is high in your chest or low in your belly. Just notice. No fixing.
5. 0:52Let your breathing find the rhythm it uses when you're almost asleep.
6. 1:05Follow the breath down into your belly and feel it come back up.
7. 1:18Feel the front of your chest. Notice it rise and fall once.
8. 1:31Feel your upper back against whatever is behind it.
9. 1:42Notice your eyebrows. They're probably doing something small right now.
10. 1:54Notice your shoulders, one at a time. The left one first.
11. 2:06Remind yourself, slowly: I am safe in this moment, even while the post-lunch fog is here. Safety and difficulty can share a room.
12. 2:24You have been carrying the heavy middle of the day for a while. You can set it down for the length of this session and pick it up after.
13. 2:45Let the exhale empty you a little more than usual, but not to the point of strain.
14. 3:00Notice any urge to check something. You can wait two more minutes.
15. 3:13You can be as unimpressive as you like for the next few minutes.
16. 3:26A few seconds of nothing now. That's on purpose.
17. 3:37If your body wants to move, let it move, then come back.
18. 3:50We'll keep it quiet and unhurried.
19. 4:00A short silence. Let it be empty.
20. 4:10Notice if you're waiting for something to happen. Nothing is scheduled.
21. 4:22If you only manage half of it, that's half more than nothing.
22. 4:35I'll leave a gap here. Use it however you like.
23. 4:47If you're distracted by a sound, let the sound be the object for a moment.
24. 5:01Small efforts are the whole method.
25. 5:11Quiet now. The next part will wait for you.
26. 5:22If you're thinking about the next thing on your list, that list will still be there.
27. 5:37We'll take this slowly, and there's no version of this where you get it wrong.
28. 5:51Feel your heart somewhere in there, doing its work without instructions.
29. 6:03Let the out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath, without forcing it.
30. 6:16Let the quiet do its work.
31. 6:26Feel your face. It's probably softer than it was five minutes ago.
32. 6:39Let your belly rise first, then your chest, then the tops of your lungs.
33. 6:53Let it be this simple.
34. 7:02Let your thumbs rest wherever they landed.
35. 7:12Feel the air as it passes the back of your throat. It's cooler going in.
36. 7:26Take the next breath slowly.
37. 7:35Notice the weight of your thighs, all the way down.
38. 7:47Breathe as if you had all evening. There's no rush in this part.
39. 8:00Keep following the air.
40. 8:09Notice your hands again. Check whether they've loosened on their own.
41. 8:21You are allowed to be unimpressed by the 3pm dip. Indifference is a legitimate response.
42. 8:35I'll be quiet for a moment. Stay with the breath.
43. 8:47If the post-lunch fog has been with you all day, it is probably tired too. Let it rest alongside you.
44. 9:04Feel the pause at the top of the in-breath. It's shorter than you think.
45. 9:18Imagine softening the edges of the heavy middle of the day. Not erasing it, just letting the sharp parts go a degree softer.
46. 9:36There is a part of you that has handled hard moments before. That part is here now, even if it is quiet.
47. 9:54Count down from ten, one number per exhale.
48. 10:05Your mind will leave about a hundred times. Come back about a hundred times.
49. 10:19Notice the exact moment your attention left. You probably won't catch it. That's normal.
50. 10:33Pause here. Count three breaths if you need an anchor.
51. 10:45Let this be easy, if easy is available.
52. 10:56No rush to move on.
53. 11:05Notice the quiet you made, and let it close gently.
54. 11:17Let the next breath be the start of the rest of the day.

Questions people ask

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