5 Micro-Meditations to Reduce Stress | Psychology Today United Kingdom

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<h1 class="blog-entry__title--full"> 5 Micro-Meditations to Reduce Stress </h1> <h2 class="blog-entry__subtitle--full"> Breathe deeply, walk a labyrinth, forest bathe, drink tea, and have compassion. </h2> <p class="blog-entry__date--full fine-print"> Updated <span class="blog_entry--date">November 11, 2024</span> <span class="blog_entry--full__review-info"> <span class="blog_entry--full__review-info-bar">|</span> <a href="/gb/docs/editorial-process" class="blog_entry--full__review-info-link"> <span class="blog_entry--full__review-info-icon"></span> <span class="blog_entry--full__review-info-text">Reviewed by Davia Sills</span> </a> </span> </p> <div class="pt-social-media blog-entry-divider"> <ul class="share-buttons"> <li> <a title="Share on Facebook" class="facebook-share-button open-dialog" target="_blank" data-lang="en" 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href="mailto:?subject=Psychology%20Today%3A%205%20Micro-Meditations%20to%20Reduce%20Stress&body=Hi%2C%0D%0A%0D%0AI%20thought%20you%27d%20be%20interested%20in%20this%20article%20on%20Psychology%20Today%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A%205%20Micro-Meditations%20to%20Reduce%20Stress%0D%0Ahttps%3A//www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/creating-wellbeing-wherever-you-are/202411/5-micro-meditations-to-reduce-stress%3Feml%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A---%0D%0AFind%20Counselling%3A%20https%3A//www.psychologytoday.com/gb&destination=node/5026757"> <div><img border="0" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/theme-assets/icons/icon-share-round-email-md.svg" alt="Share via Email" width="37" height="37" /><span class="visually-hidden">Email</span></div> </a> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="blog-entry--body"> <div class="blog-entry--body-first"> <div class="d-none d-xl-block"> </div> </div> <div class="blog-entry--body-second"> <div class="blog_entry__key-points"> <h3 class="blog_entry__key-points-title">Key points</h3> <ul class="blog_entry__key-points-item-list"> <li class="blog_entry__key-points-item">Micro-meditations to reduce stress can be brief: gaze out a window, breathe deeply, or savor a cup of tea.</li> <li class="blog_entry__key-points-item">Walking a labyrinth or walking in nature slows one's pace, slows one's breath, and reduces stress.</li> <li class="blog_entry__key-points-item">Loving-kindness and respect for others and the world around you enhance positive emotions and reduce stress.</li> <li class="blog_entry__key-points-item">For a gratitude micro-meditation, face the four directions and be grateful for what you see.</li> </ul> </div> <div class="field-name-body"> <div class="insertArea"> <div class="image-article-inline-half"> <div class="insert-inner"> <div class="insert-image"><img alt="Kite Rite/Shutterstock" class="image-article_inline_half_caption" data-insert-type="image" height="213" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/article_inline_half_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2024-11/Meditate_Kite_rin_Shutterstock_409045534.jpg?itok=y4tGKoS2" title="Kite Rite/Shutterstock" width="320"></div> <div class="caption"> </div> <div class="insertArea--origin subtext">Source: Kite Rite/Shutterstock</div> </div> </div> </div> <p>I once asked the Dalai Lama whether he used meditation to reduce stress. He shook his head and remained silent. His translator explained that stress was not a word in the Buddhist tradition.</p> <p>I was moderating a panel at the Mind & Life Institute’s XIII conference exploring the “Science and Clinical Applications of Meditation.” My charge was to ask whether meditation could be used to reduce stress and reduce inflammatory illness. But minutes before we were to go on stage, I was told that I could not use the word stress. How, I thought, could I moderate a panel on stress without using that word?</p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-0" data-slot-position="0"></div> <p>I decided to confront the issue head-on. I asked the Dalai Lama what he used meditation for if he didn’t use it to reduce stress. Without hesitation, he answered: to enhance love and compassion. From the brain’s point of view, enhancing the positive—love and compassion—is a very effective way of countering and reducing stress. It works by activating the <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/dopamine" title="Psychology Today looks at dopamine" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-GB">dopamine</a> reward and anti-pain endorphin regions of the brain.</p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-1" data-slot-position="1"></div> <div class="insertArea"> <div class="image-article-inline-half"> <div class="insert-inner"> <div class="insert-image"><img alt="Breslavstev Oleg/Shutterstock" class="image-article_inline_half_caption" data-insert-type="image" height="213" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/article_inline_half_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2024-11/shutterstock_1421822594%20copy.jpg?itok=F7r7W6uN" title="Breslavstev Oleg/Shutterstock" width="320"></div> <div class="caption">Woman meditating.</div> <div class="insertArea--origin subtext">Source: Breslavstev Oleg/Shutterstock</div> </div> </div> </div> <p>Another way to counter the stress response is to breathe deeply. Most forms of meditation start with deep breathing, which triggers the relaxation response by activating the <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/vagus-nerve" title="Psychology Today looks at vagus nerve" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-GB">vagus nerve</a> and putting the brakes on the adrenalin component of the stress response.</p> <p>Dr. Richard “Richie” Davidson, who pioneered neuroscientific studies of the Dalai Lama’s meditating monks, likes to say that the word “meditation” is like the word “sports.” There are many kinds of meditation, just as there are many kinds of sports. The Dalai Lama’s compassion meditation is one. There is also Jon Kabat-Zinn’s <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/meditation" title="Psychology Today looks at mindfulness meditation" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-GB">mindfulness meditation</a> and Zen meditation.</p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-2" data-slot-position="2"></div> <p>They all start with deep, slow breathing. Simply paying <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/attention" title="Psychology Today looks at attention" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-GB">attention</a> to the breath can also reduce your stress. Or you can actively engage the breath with Dr. Andrew Weil’s 4-7-8 breathing technique.</p> <div class="insertArea"> <div class="image-article-inline-half"> <div class="insert-inner"> <div class="insert-image"><img alt="Esther Sternberg M.D." class="image-article_inline_half_caption" data-insert-type="image" height="180" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/article_inline_half_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2024-11/Presentation1.jpeg.jpg?itok=bGwHcbP-" title="Esther Sternberg M.D." width="320"></div> <div class="caption">Labyrinth at Canyon Ranch, Tucson</div> <div class="insertArea--origin subtext">Source: Esther Sternberg M.D.</div> </div> </div> </div> <p>If you’re still <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/anxiety" title="Psychology Today looks at anxious" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-GB">anxious</a> and having trouble focusing on your breath, try a walking meditation—like walking a labyrinth. Different from a maze, which is a powerful trigger of the stress response, a labyrinth is simply a pattern on the floor that you follow around the circle to the center and out again. This slows your breathing, makes you focus on walking, and empties your mind—all elements of meditation. You can search the internet for a labyrinth near you—there are many in local churches or in sacred healing gardens.</p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-3" data-slot-position="3"></div> <div class="insertArea"> <div class="image-article-inline-half"> <div class="insert-inner"> <div class="insert-image"><img alt="Esther M. Sternberg M.D." class="image-article_inline_half_caption" data-insert-type="image" height="427" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/article_inline_half_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2024-11/IMG_7993_1.9MB.jpg?itok=T-YB3BDy" title="Esther M. Sternberg M.D." width="320"></div> <div class="caption">Forest path.</div> <div class="insertArea--origin subtext">Source: Esther M. Sternberg M.D.</div> </div> </div> </div> <p>Another way to get into a meditative state and reduce stress is to take a walk in nature.</p> <p>Slow walking in a forest, or <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/forest-bathing" title="Psychology Today looks at forest bathing" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-GB">forest bathing</a>, helps you breathe deeply and inhale the scents of the many biogenic volatile organic compounds released from plants before and after rain. These compounds have a calming effect and are nature’s own aromatherapy.</p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-4" data-slot-position="4"></div> <p>Listening to the sounds of nature—the birds, the wind in the trees, the crunch of the leaves underfoot—all connect you to a larger world, help you to focus on the moment, and reduce your stress.</p> <p>What if you can’t go out in nature? If you’re <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/stress" title="Psychology Today looks at stressed" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-GB">stressed</a> and anxious at night, try listening for a hooting owl to connect to nature, download nature sounds from the internet, or try guided imagery to take you to a favorite calming place you’ve been. If you're in hospital and can't get out, immerse yourself in a virtual nature Recharge Room to find peace and calm.</p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-5" data-slot-position="5"></div> <div class="insertArea"> <div class="image-article-inline-half"> <div class="insert-inner"> <div class="insert-image"><img alt="S_Photo/Shutterstock" class="image-article_inline_half_caption" data-insert-type="image" height="213" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/article_inline_half_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2024-11/shutterstock_1061497610.jpg?itok=EofSsohS" title="S_Photo/Shutterstock" width="320"></div> <div class="caption">Window view of nature.</div> <div class="insertArea--origin subtext">Source: S_Photo/Shutterstock</div> </div> </div> </div> <p>If your window looks out into nature—a tree, a garden, a desert landscape—let your mind wander as you look at the view. It’s not daydreaming or being lazy; it’s a micro-meditation.</p> <p>Focus on each detail—leaves fluttering in the breeze, sun glinting off them, a bird that flits by, or a squirrel that jumps from branch to branch. One time, when I felt very stressed, as I watched the birds in my garden, the thought crossed my mind that eons ago, they used to be dinosaurs—and now they were tiny creatures, no longer threatening, just little “dinosaurs in the trees.” That put my troubles into perspective, and I calmed down.</p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-6" data-slot-position="6"></div> <div class="insertArea"> <div class="image-article-inline-half"> <div class="insert-inner"> <div class="insert-image"><img alt="kazoka/Shutterstock" class="image-article_inline_half_caption" data-insert-type="image" height="213" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/article_inline_half_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2024-11/shutterstock_1197367852.jpg?itok=ZULgKEY2" title="kazoka/Shutterstock" width="320"></div> <div class="caption">Green tea, Japanese tea.</div> <div class="insertArea--origin subtext">Source: kazoka/Shutterstock</div> </div> </div> </div> <p>The Zen monks designed their tea houses to have views of nature and the changing seasons, reminding them that all things change and return again. The spaces are small and quiet—a perfect atmosphere for meditation. The monks taught respect for all: for every person in the room and for every item in the tea ceremony—the cups, the teapot, the tea itself.</p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-7" data-slot-position="7"></div> <p>So, for another micro-meditation, try drinking tea. But don’t just drink it; create a micro-meditation moment, the way Zen master Suzuki Roshi taught at the San Francisco Zen Center in the late 1960s and early ’70s. I do this every morning at breakfast on my patio. I cradle the cup in my hand and watch the steaming liquid as it slowly pours into my cup before savoring the rich aroma and taste. It helps me start the day centered and calm.</p> <div class="card-group card-group--condensed card-group--border-bottom d-lg-none"> <div class="h2 card-group__title">Meditation Essential Reads</div> <div class="card-group__body"> <article data-history-node-id="5025632"> <div class="media"> <div class="media--image"> <a href="/gb/blog/lifetime-connections/202410/meditation-is-an-essential-hack-for-all-of-us"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_75x75/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/shutterstock_1923950933.jpg?itok=n1BBaohD" width="75" height="75" alt="" title="antoniodiaz/Shutterstock" /> </a> </div> <div class="h3 media--title"> <a href="/gb/blog/lifetime-connections/202410/meditation-is-an-essential-hack-for-all-of-us" rel="bookmark">Why Meditation Can Be an Essential Hack for Anyone</a> </div> </div> </article> <article data-history-node-id="5025629"> <div class="media"> <div class="media--image"> <a href="/gb/blog/between-cultures/202410/a-roadmap-to-befriending-the-mind"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_75x75/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-10/meditation-7895774_1280.jpg?itok=4JVDaazE" width="75" height="75" alt="" title="Irongroup / Pixabay" /> </a> </div> <div class="h3 media--title"> <a href="/gb/blog/between-cultures/202410/a-roadmap-to-befriending-the-mind" rel="bookmark">A Roadmap to Befriending the Mind</a> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> <div class="insertArea"> <div class="image-article-inline-half"> <div class="insert-inner"> <div class="insert-image"><img alt="Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock" class="image-article_inline_half_caption" data-insert-type="image" height="478" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/article_inline_half_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2024-11/shutterstock_270005501(1).jpg?itok=URKMNk7V" title="Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock" width="320"></div> <div class="caption">Native American man performing Ceremony for Earth, Big Sur, California</div> <div class="insertArea--origin subtext">Source: Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock</div> </div> </div> </div> <p>In this sense, the Zen and Dalai Lama’s philosophies coincide with the core of every religion: love, compassion, loving-kindness, and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/gratitude" title="Psychology Today looks at gratitude" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-GB">gratitude</a> for what you have and for those around you. To reduce your stress, start the day with a micro-meditation like the Choctaw blessing. Face each of the four directions and up and down. Be grateful for what you see and what you have—for the mountains and hills, trees and cacti, sea and sky, sun and moon, for your home and for the people you love—and you will be able to better face the day in a place of calm.</p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-last" data-slot-position="last"></div> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references" data-hide-large-count-items="true"> <p class="blog-entry-references-label">References</p> <div class="blog-entry-references-content-items"> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Artress, L. (1996). <em>Walking a sacred path: Rediscovering the labyrinth as a spiritual practice</em>. Penguin.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>XIV Bstan-ʼdzin-rgya, D. L. (2001). <em>The compassionate life</em>. Simon and Schuster.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Chadwick, D. (2011). <em>Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki</em>. Harmony.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Dahl, C. J., Lutz, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2016). Cognitive processes are central in compassion meditation. <em>Trends in Cognitive Sciences</em>, <em>20</em>(3), 161-162.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Engineer, A., Gualano, R. J., Crocker, R. L., Smith, J. L., Maizes, V., Weil, A., & Sternberg, E. M. (2021). An integrative health framework for wellbeing in the built environment. <em>Building and Environment</em>, <em>205</em>, 108253.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Goleman, D., & Davidson, R. J. (2018). <em>Altered traits: Science reveals how meditation changes your mind, brain, and body</em>. Penguin.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Hansen, M. M., Jones, R., & Tocchini, K. (2017). Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) and nature therapy: A state-of-the-art review. <em>International journal of environmental research and public health</em>, <em>14</em>(8), 851.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Kabat-Zinn, J., & Davidson, R. (Eds.). (2012). <em>The mind's own physician: A scientific dialogue with the Dalai Lama on the healing power of meditation</em>. New Harbinger Publications.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Mind & Life XIII: Investigating the Mind: The Science and Clinical Applications of Meditation, November 8-10, 2005 <a href="https://www.mindandlife.org/media/mind-and-life-xiii-session-four/">https://www.mindandlife.org/media/mind-and-life-xiii-session-four/</a></p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Naparstek, B. (2016). Guided imagery and intuition. In <em>Healing Images</em> (pp. 449-459). Routledge.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Ricard, M., Lutz, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2014). Mind of the meditator. <em>Scientific American</em>, <em>311</em>(5), 38-45.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Sadler, A. L. (2019). <em>Japanese Tea Ceremony: Cha-no-Yu and the Zen Art of Mindfulness</em>. Tuttle Publishing.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Sternberg, E.M. (2023) Well at Work: Creating Wellbeing in Any Workspace (Little, Brown Spark Sept. 2023)</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Sternberg, E.M. (2009) Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-being. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Weil, A. (2017). <em>Mind Over Meds: Know When Drugs Are Necessary, When Alternatives Are Better and When to Let Your Body Heal on Its Own</em>. Little, Brown Spark.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Wen, Y., Yan, Q., Pan, Y., Gu, X., & Liu, Y. (2019). Medical empirical research on forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku): A systematic review. <em>Environmental health and preventive medicine</em>, <em>24</em>(1), 1-21.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Besa, R., Angelo, E., Cutroneo, A., Frieman, A., Paliwal, M., & Williams, D. (2023). Effect of nature-themed recharge room on healthcare workers' level of stress and anxiety. <em>JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration</em>, <em>53</em>(9), 481-489.</p> </div> <div class="blog-entry-references-content"> <p>Putrino, D., Ripp, J., Herrera, J. E., Cortes, M., Kellner, C., Rizk, D., & Dams-O’Connor, K. (2020). Multisensory, nature-inspired recharge rooms yield short-term reductions in perceived stress among frontline healthcare workers. <em>Frontiers in Psychology</em>, <em>11</em>, 560833.</p> </div> </div> <button class="btn btn-default btn-md blog-entry-references-more" type="button" data-show-large-count-items="true"> <span class="blog-entry-references-more__primary-text"> More </span> <span class="visually-hidden blog-entry-references-more__secondary-text"> references </span> </button> </div> <div class="social-links-bottom"> <div class="pt-social-media blog-entry-divider"> <ul class="share-buttons"> <li> <a title="Share on Facebook" class="facebook-share-button open-dialog" target="_blank" data-lang="en" 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