The afternoon slump: 7-minute gratitude meditation, in the queue

About this practice

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 7 minutes of gratitude for the afternoon slump, in the queue. 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 in a waiting room

• You can do this with your eyes open and your hands where they are
• Nothing here needs to look like a meditation
• Aim for steadiness rather than calm

Waiting feeds the dread it is meant to relieve. Having something specific to do with the time is the useful part.

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. 0:00Your breathing doesn't have to change yet. Let it be whatever size it currently is.
2. 0:14We are not forcing positivity. We are just noticing what went right, however small.
3. 0:28Feel the small movements your body makes to keep you upright. They're happening without you.
4. 0:42Let your attention drop to the level of your shoulders and stay there a moment.
5. 0:56Let your breathing be boring. Boring is good here.
6. 1:07Breathe in for four, out for six, if you'd like something to count.
7. 1:20Feel your heart somewhere in there, doing its work without instructions.
8. 1:32Feel the parts of you that have gone quiet.
9. 1:43Move to your forehead. Let it be smooth instead of gathered.
10. 1:55Let the exhale carry a little of the post-lunch fog with it. Not all of it. Just a little, one breath at a time.
11. 2:14You are allowed to be unimpressed by the heavy middle of the day. Indifference is a legitimate response.
12. 2:30Notice your shoulders, one at a time. The left one first.
13. 2:42Remain here for a few more breaths.
14. 2:52Let the breath move at the speed of a sleeping person.
15. 3:04Let the whole of your right foot be heavy.
16. 3:15Notice how quickly your mind labels things: good, bad, boring, nice.
17. 3:27I'll step back. You stay here.
18. 3:37Let it be unimpressive. Small good things are the most reliable ones.
19. 3:50If you're judging your performance, that's the same habit as judging everything else.
20. 4:03Let the breath be shallow if shallow is what your body wants.
21. 4:16I'll stop for a moment. Take the pause at your own speed.
22. 4:29Each time your mind hands you the 3pm dip, treat it like a leaf on a stream. Present for a moment, then carried on.
23. 4:48If the post-lunch fog has been with you all day, it is probably tired too. Let it rest alongside you.
24. 5:05Follow the breath down into your belly and feel it come back up.
25. 5:18If you've lost track of where we were, you haven't lost anything important.
26. 5:31If you're thinking about the next thing on your list, that list will still be there.
27. 5:46Let's pause. Just the breathing for a while.
28. 5:57If nothing comes, notice that something did not go wrong. That also counts.
29. 6:10Notice the room again: the sounds, the temperature, the light.
30. 6:22Let the last of the stillness stay with you for a few more seconds.
31. 6:36Let the quiet do its work.

Questions people ask

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