Meditation
Thirteen practices, each with a tool on the page and sources you can open. They take 1 to 20 minutes, need no app and no sign-up, and none of them is a treatment.
- Meditation for beginnersa first session that counts each time you notice your mind wandered · 2, 3 or 5 minutes, plus a 7-day plan
- Mindful walkinga walk timer that cues feet, sounds and breath, with vibration · 5 or 10 minutes
- Meditation timer1 to 60 minutes · singing bowl or small bell, interval bell, vibration
- Mindfulness for overthinkinga 3-minute practice: name the thought, come back · past, future or judging
- Journaling for self-reflectionpick 3 of 12 questions, write for 5 minutes, print your answers
- Self-esteem worksheetsa 7-day evidence log and the friend question · fill in on screen or print
- Mindfulness meditation script5 and 10 minutes, pauses in seconds · read it to yourself, read it aloud or print
- Body scan script14 body parts · 5, 10 or 20 minutes
- Loving-kindness script5 circles of phrases · 5, 10 or 15 minutes
- Self-compassion meditationa guided self-compassion break · 3, 5 or 10 minutes
- Mindfulness exercises for anxiety6 short practices with a timer · 1 to 5 minutes
- Gratitude journalhow to keep one · write three good things here or print a week
- Gratitude journal prompts28 prompts for 4 weeks · a prompt for today
Which practice fits right now
| Practice | Time | What you need | When it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silent sitting with a timer | 5 to 20 min | a chair, the timer | you already have a practice and only want the clock out of your head |
| Body scan | 5, 10 or 20 min | a bed, mat or chair | your mind is busy and you want something concrete to follow; wind-down before sleep |
| Loving-kindness | 5, 10 or 15 min | four short phrases | you feel harsh toward yourself or someone else and want to practice warmth |
| Self-compassion break | 3 to 10 min | a quiet minute, the timer | you are being hard on yourself about a mistake or a problem |
| Mindfulness for anxiety | 1 to 5 min | the timer | anxiety is up and you want something short and concrete |
| Gratitude journal | 5 to 15 min | a notebook or notes app | you prefer writing to sitting still; once a week is enough to start |
This table is our practical advice, not a research ranking. Each page shows what the studies found, and the effects are small to medium. If tension in the body is the main problem, progressive muscle relaxation works on it more directly; if you need to calm down fast, start with breathing exercises or the 2-minute longer exhale.