The schedule
10 minutes. Same time each day. Coherent 5-5 throughout. No music with lyrics. Sitting or lying. Eyes closed or softly focused.
What to track
Subjective stress (0–10) before and after each session. Sleep quality. Resting heart rate in the morning. Number of sighs per hour during the day (rough estimate).
The timeline
Week 1: noticeable calm during and just after. Week 2: easier to fall asleep. Week 4: lower baseline anxiety. Week 8: most measurable changes plateau — keep practising to maintain.
Common pitfalls
Skipping the boring days (they matter most). Trying to force calm (relax instead). Switching techniques every week (consistency beats variety).
Log your sessions in Breathe On and explore the matching guidance at [/breathing-for/stress](/breathing-for/stress).