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Unwind in 5: Saturdays Don't Have to be Stressful
Hey there, I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. You know, it's a Saturday morning, and while that might sound peaceful, I get it—weekends can feel just as tangled as weekdays. Maybe you've got that low-grade anxiety humming in the background, or you're caught between wanting to rest and feeling like you should be doing something. Today, we're going to untangle that a little bit together in just five minutes.
So let's start by finding a comfortable seat. Doesn't have to be fancy—your couch, a chair, the floor, wherever feels good. And if you're in public or can't fully relax, that's okay too. We'll make this work. Take a moment and just arrive here. Notice what's around you without judgment. Maybe you hear something. Maybe you feel the texture of where you're sitting. You're already doing great.
Now, let's anchor ourselves with breath. Take a slow inhale through your nose for a count of four. Hold it for just a moment. Then exhale through your mouth for a count of six. The exhale is longer, and that matters—it signals your nervous system that you're safe. Let's do that three times together. Inhale, two, three, four. Hold. And exhale, two, three, four, five, six. Again. In through the nose. Out through the mouth, longer. One more time. Feel that shift? That's the beginning of relief.
Now here's our main practice. I want you to imagine stress as something physical—maybe it's like tension you're holding in your shoulders, or tightness in your chest. Rather than fighting it, we're going to befriend it. With each exhale, imagine that stress as a color, a texture, something tangible, and simply let it dissolve like watercolor bleeding into water. There's no force here, no pushing. Just notice the tension, breathe, and watch it soften. If your mind wanders, that's not a failure—that's what minds do. Just gently notice and come back to your breath and your color dissolving. Keep going with me for the next few minutes. Inhale calm. Exhale the color of your stress. You're doing this exactly right.
As we wrap up, take one more full breath together. Notice how your body feels different from five minutes ago. That shift you're experiencing? That's real, and it's yours to carry forward. Tonight, try this same practice for just two minutes before bed. Your nervous system will thank you.
Thank you so much for joining me on Daily Mindfulness: 5-Minute Meditations for Stress Relief. If this resonated with you, please subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. I'll be here every day, ready to help you find your calm. You've got this.
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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Published on 3 weeks, 3 days ago