6 Meditations to Get You Through the Most Annoying Parts of Your Day

Fact: The longer you think about falling asleep, the more stressed you feel, and longer you stay awake.

Try this quick practice instead: Lie on your back with both hands on your stomach. Feel it rise as you inhale, and fall as you exhale. Feel your body lying between breaths. Repeat “rising, falling, lying” in your head with each motion. “If you start to think about tomorrow or tense up about being awake, add the word ‘relax’ to your sequence,” says Williams-Key. “When you think ‘relax,’ let go of every muscle in your body.”

Counting sheep is also pretty damn close to a meditative practice. Try counting to 10, in time with your breath. Inhale, 1. Exhale, 2. Inhale, 3. “When you notice your mind wandering to things you have to do tomorrow, simply start back at one,” says Fletcher. “You might never make it up to 10, but you’ll fall asleep.”