Why 5 minutes is enough to start
Research consistently shows even 5–10 minutes of daily breath-focused meditation drops cortisol, slows heart rate and reduces reported anxiety within 2 weeks. You don't need 45 minutes and a Himalayan cave.
The 5-minute daily practice
- Minute 1: sit tall, close your eyes, notice how your body feels — no judgement.
- Minutes 2–3: breathe in 4 counts, hold 2, out 6 counts. Repeat 10 rounds.
- Minute 4: body scan — from head to feet, relax each part on the exhale.
- Minute 5: sit with the quiet. Notice 3 sounds around you. Open eyes.
When anxiety hits hard
Use the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding: name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. It short-circuits a panic spiral in under 60 seconds.