Free mindfulness and relaxation exercises
We have created a range of mental health resources, including mindfulness and relaxation exercises that you can use to improve your stress levels and wellbeing. Some are designed to be a short pause during your busy day while others will provide you with a deeper level of practice. We add new exercises regularly so be sure to revisit this page to stay updated or sign up to our list below.
Five minute mindfulness of senses
This is a brief mindfulness exercise designed to help you to anchor into the present moment using your sense of sound, touch and vision. This is an ideal way to give yourself a break and [...]
Grounding and Compassion for Uncertain Times
During uncertain times, it’s essential that we find ways to give our mind, body and heart a breather. This exercise is designed to do just that.Together will focus on a few simple, but effective evidence-based [...]
Defusing From Your Thoughts (Leaves on a Stream)
When we feel stressed, anxious, depressed or just generally overwhelmed we tend to fuse with our thoughts. We spend a large portion of our time up in our heads going over and over things from [...]
Progressive muscle relaxation
This exercise is a Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). PMR involves tensing and relaxing 16 key muscle groups in the body. During the exercise you are instructed to tense each muscle group for a short period [...]
Mindfulness of internal and external experiences
This exercise is a focus shifting exercise. It involves deliberately tuning in and out of the some of the internal and external experiences that are happening within and around you. Your internal experiences include your [...]
Stepping out of autopilot using mindfulness
By practising mindfulness during daily tasks you can sharpen your ability to be mindful in more challenging or important situations, like when you are having a conversation with someone or when you are facing a [...]
Mindfulness of emotions and physical sensations
The aim of this exercise is to build tolerance to strong, uncomfortable emotions and the physical sensations linked to them. Most of us tend to struggle against strong emotions when they arise. We get stressed [...]
Abdominal breathing
Your breathing is a direct reflection of your mental and emotional state. When we feel anxious, tense, angry or overwhelmed our breathing can become shallow and rapid. Our breathing also tends to occur higher up [...]
Mindful breathing
This mindful breathing exercise will help you to be grounded in the present moment. With practice you will develop the skill of focusing your attention on your breath, while allowing thoughts, worries, distractions, physical sensations [...]
Slow breathing exercise
When we become nervous or panicked our breathing becomes rapid. We have a tendency to gasp for air and sometimes we even hold our breath without realising. As a consequence of this change in our [...]
