Mindfulness & relaxation
🟢 Evidence-based🔵 Wellness practice
Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment on purpose, without judging it. Research suggests mindfulness-based programmes may help some people manage stress, though results vary and they are not a replacement for treatment.
Try a tool
5-4-3-2-1 grounding
A step-by-step grounding practice using your five senses.
Mindful minute
Sound detective, mindful colour or mindful object, for 60 seconds.
Mindfulness
1-minute mindfulness · 1 min
- Sit comfortably and let your eyes soften or close.
- Feel where your body touches the chair or floor.
- Follow three natural breaths, in and out.
- When thoughts appear, notice them and return to the breath.
- Open your eyes slowly.
5-4-3-2-1 grounding · 2 min
- Look around and name 5 things you can see.
- Name 4 things you can feel (feet on the floor, clothes on skin).
- Name 3 things you can hear.
- Name 2 things you can smell, or like to smell.
- Name 1 thing you can taste. Take a slow breath.
Body awareness · 3 min
- Lie down or sit comfortably.
- Move your attention slowly from your feet up to your head.
- At each area, just notice: warm, cool, tight, relaxed. You don’t need to change anything.
- Finish with three slow breaths.
Mindful eating · 3 min
- Choose a small piece of food.
- Look at it, smell it, then take a small bite.
- Chew slowly and notice taste and texture.
- Notice when you feel satisfied.
Mindful walking · 3 min
- Walk slowly in a safe place.
- Feel each heel, sole and toes touching the ground.
- Notice sounds and the air on your skin.
- When your mind wanders, return to the feeling of your feet.
Breath awareness · 3 min
- Rest attention at the nose, chest or belly, wherever the breath is clearest.
- Count breaths from 1 to 10, then start again.
- If you lose count, begin at 1 again, without judgment.
Thought observation · 3 min
- Sit quietly and notice thoughts as they arise.
- Label them gently: “planning”, “worrying”, “remembering”.
- Imagine them as clouds passing across the sky.
- Return to your breath.
Relaxation
Progressive relaxation awareness · 5 min
- Starting at your feet, gently tense a muscle group for 5 seconds.
- Release and notice the difference for 10 seconds.
- Move upward: legs, belly, hands, shoulders, face.
- Skip any area where tensing is uncomfortable or painful.
Nature observation · 3 min
- Look out of a window or step outside.
- Notice three living things: a plant, a bird, the sky.
- Notice colours, shapes and movement.
Quiet time · 5 min
- Sit with no phone, music or tasks.
- Let your mind do whatever it does.
- Notice how you feel at the end.
Digital pause · 15–30 min
- Put your phone in another room.
- Choose one offline activity: a walk, a chat, a drawing.
- Notice how it feels to be unreachable for a short while.
Bedtime wind-down · 20 min
- Dim lights and put screens away.
- Do something gentle: stretch, read, listen to quiet sounds.
- Write tomorrow’s top task so your mind can let go.
- Go to bed around the same time each night.
▶️ Tool 2: Building awareness
WHO South-East Asia Region (WHO SEARO) · 2:49 min
Part of WHO South-East Asia's 'Managing Stress Better' series, based on WHO's illustrated guide 'Doing What Matters in Times of Stress'.
The video plays from the publisher's own YouTube channel. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press the button. Watch on YouTube