Mindfulness practices have been keeping me from totally losing it this week, honestly. It’s December 28th, I’m holed up in my Brooklyn apartment, the radiator’s clanking like crazy, and there’s still wrapping paper scraps everywhere from Christmas. I used to roll my eyes at this stuff—thought it was for people with way more chill than me—but yeah, some of these mindfulness practices really do bring instant peace of mind when my brain’s going a hundred miles an hour.
The Breathing Thing I Do When My Chest Gets Tight
The one I fall back on most is this 4-7-8 breathing. Sounds dumb, right? But it’s become my go-to mindfulness practice for instant peace of mind. Couple days ago I was spiraling about money—rent’s due, freelance checks are late as usual—and I just sat on my couch, set a timer on my cracked phone, and did it. Inhale four, hold seven, out eight. I screwed up the count twice, started thinking about what to eat for dinner instead, but by the fourth round that tight feeling eased up. Instant peace of mind, or at least close enough that I didn’t text my ex or buy something stupid online.
It’s not magic. Some days it barely dents the anxiety. But more often than not it buys me a few minutes of calm, which is huge.
Noticing Random Stuff Around Me to Stop the Spiral
Another mindfulness practice that’s stupid simple: I just name five things I can sense right now. It’s my quick way to grab instant peace of mind when overthinking kicks in. Like yesterday, lying in bed way too late scrolling, heart racing from dumb news—I stopped and went: cold sheets against my legs, that radiator hiss, taste of toothpaste still in my mouth, the glow of my phone, smell of coffee from this morning. Took maybe twenty seconds. Pulled me out of the loop just enough to put the phone down and actually sleep.
I do it wrong half the time—get to three things and my mind wanders again. Whatever. It still helps more than fighting the thoughts head-on.
- Doesn’t have to be pretty stuff. Sirens outside? Fine. Dirty dishes smell? Include it.
- I skip taste or smell sometimes if I’m lazy. Still counts.
Trying to Walk Mindfully (and Usually Failing a Little)
Mindful walking is supposed to be this big thing, but my version is half-assed and that’s okay. It’s still one of those mindfulness practices that sneaks instant peace of mind in sometimes. I live in a busy spot, so walks are never silent, but I’ll try to notice my feet on the sidewalk, the cold air, people rushing past. Did it this morning to the bodega for more coffee—slush everywhere, headphones off for once. Caught myself planning my whole day five steps in, brought it back to the crunch sound under my boots. Got maybe thirty seconds of actual presence before my brain took over again. But those thirty seconds? Instant peace of mind, tiny as it was.
Check out this quick read on walking meditation from Greater Good Magazine if you want something more official than my messy attempts.
Yeah, I Still Get Anxious After Doing These
Real talk—these mindfulness practices don’t make me zen all day. I’ll do the breathing, feel better for an hour, then doomscroll again and undo it. I’m inconsistent as hell. Missed three days last week and felt worse for it. But when I do them, even imperfectly, they bring instant peace of mind more reliably than anything else I’ve tried. No app, no cost, just me and my chaotic head trying to get along for a minute.
There’s actual research on this stuff too—short mindfulness exercises can drop cortisol pretty quick, according to bits I’ve skimmed on APA’s site.
Anyway, That’s My Take Right Now
So yeah, these are the mindfulness practices keeping me semi-sane as 2025 winds down. Nothing fancy, nothing perfect—just little resets that give me instant peace of mind when I remember to use them. If you’re feeling fried too, maybe steal one and tweak it till it fits your life. Let me know in the comments what works (or doesn’t) for you—I could use some new ideas myself. Seriously, try the breathing tonight before bed. Worst case, you just breathe for a minute. Best case, you sleep better than I probably will.