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Last Updated on July 13, 2026 by Grace Oluchi
Ellen has been having it difficult for some time now. Her mind wouldn’t stop racing, she’d replay old conversations she’s had over, and over. She’d even lie in bed thinking about everything she had to do, before she actually got out of bed. And she wanted to feel calm and decided to try meditation.
But for minutes every day.
It didn’t seem long enough to me, for it to do, or change anything, but I also thought it wouldn’t hurt to start with that
So I began with sitting still for 5 minutes every day. I wouldn’t use my phone, or listen to songs, but breathe slowly.
📋 Table of Contents
In the first week
It wasn’t easy, I didn’t expect it to be that difficult, my mind was all over the place. I would close my eyes, then boom thoughts about unanswered emails or the clothes I saw on SHEIN would come.
Including, grocery shopping I had to do, or messages I forgot to respond to. Even the fight I had with my cousin Jenna many days ago.
And this made me feel like I wasn’t doing it right. But that wasn’t true. It was just something a mind that isn’t trained (like mine) would do.
The second week
Things started working out in a good way. I started to see that I wasn’t reacting to every stressful situation as quickly as I did before.
Things were still happening, like work being very busy, so it wasn’t like everything around me slowed down. But surprisingly I did.
The way I’d start to feel overwhelmed immediately when something happened, changed. I found myself taking deep breaths before reacting to events in my life.
You see that short pause ? That’s what made a bigger difference than I expected.
What I genuinely appreciate about this 5 minute meditation
It’s not like it removed stress from my life, but it did change how I reacted towards it. I loved how I started to look forward to having that 5 minutes. It’s not even like it was perfect every session, but it was a way to call me back and remind me to stop carrying every thought throughout the day.
And just chill.
Is 5 minutes meditation something I recommend
In all honesty yes I do. But understand one thing.
If you already have the mindset that meditation will remove anxiety overnight, you might end up getting disappointed. Give yourself the chance to start a small habit that may help you feel calmer, a little more present, and nicer to yourself.
So yes, 5 minutes is a fine place to begin with meditation.
