Managing Stress in Uncertain Times
Bring a moment of calm and clarity to your day with a body scan meditation for stress relief.
Try 14 days freeBetter mental health starts with Headspace. Unrivaled expertise to make life feel a little easier, using guided meditations, mindfulness tips, focus tools, sleep support, and dedicated programs.
Try 14 days freeHi, and welcome to this guided meditation. So if you have selected this exercise, there's a good chance that you might be feeling stressed right now. And that is totally okay. There is just so much going on in the world at the moment and it can feel really overwhelming. It could be down to COVID, could be down to tense political climates around the world, being apart from family, or perhaps you've lost your job and you're feeling a general sense of unease about what the future holds. And it could be all of the above and more. So I'm really sorry if you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed. The good news is that you are taking some time to be kind to your mind and your body, and I'm so grateful that you're doing this meditation with me. So to start with, I'd just like you to take a moment to get comfortable wherever you are sitting. You can also lie down for this exercise. This time is for you, so it's really important you feel nice and relaxed. And just to help get you settled into this moment, start by taking a big, deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Right now, it is so easy to get caught up in thinking about everything that's feeling stressful at the moment. And to overwhelm yourself trying to fix the situation or to change it. But all of this thinking can lead to more feelings of worry and uncertainty. And all of this activity in the mind can actually be really exhausting. You can probably relate to feeling tired when you've been physically rushing around all day, but the mind gets really tired as well. So if you're feeling physically or mentally tired right now, think of this exercise as a break for both the mind and the body where we come into the present moment. I know it won't change stressful things that are happening, but my hope is it brings you a moment of calm and clarity and a much needed break. You might have very strong feelings about what is happening and that's completely okay, but taking the time to rest the mind like this means that you're hopefully more able to respond in a more skillful way to those feelings rather than just simply reacting. There is so much that we can't control, but it is always within our power to give ourselves time to rest. The technique we're going to do is called a body scan where we intentionally focus our attention on our body. This is a really fantastic technique for when we do feel stressed or overwhelmed as it helps to break the cycle of thoughts by coming out of our mind and into our body. So just taking a moment to make sure that you are comfortable and remember you can also lie down for this. So let's start by taking two big deep breaths, breathing in...
Details
About your teachers
- More about Andy
A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.
- More about Eve
Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.
- More about Dora
As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.
- More about Kessonga
Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.
- More about Rosie
Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.
Your lifelong guide to better mental health
Stress, sleep, and all the challenging emotions — care for your mind with the everyday mental health app that's shown to make a difference.
Try 14 days freeLook after your mind
Proven guided meditations and programs to help you stress less, sleep more soundly, and better navigate life’s challenges
Science-backed
Studies show that using Headspace for 30 days can reduce stress, increase resilience, and improve overall well-being
Explore 1000+ expert-led exercises
Access our library of meditations, breathing exercises, and guidance videos for stress, sleep, focus, everyday anxiety , parenting, and more.
Member reviews
Hear from some of our members
Your app brings so much peace and tolerance to our home.
Rachel
UK
Changing my thoughts has allowed me to change my life.
Davide
London
The stress and loneliness courses … taught me how to comfort myself.
Alicia
Canada
Headspace provides me with … a connection to myself, and a disconnection from negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations.
Keri
UK
Related to 'Managing Stress In Uncertain'
- © 2024 Headspace Inc.
- Terms & conditions
- Privacy policy
- Consumer Health Data
- Your privacy choices
- CA Privacy Notice