Letting go in a hectic life isn’t about giving up, but rather about learning not to get hung up on what you can’t control. It takes practice and a little gentleness with yourself. Here are some concrete ideas:
6 practices for letting go
1. Return to the body and the present moment
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- Conscious breathing: inhaling deeply, exhaling slowly, 3 to 5 times, can be enough to calm the mind.
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- Body scans (mentally scanning your body from head to toe, without judgment) help you reconnect.
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- Movement (gentle yoga, walking in nature, stretching) releases physical tension.
2. Accept what is out of control
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- Distinguish between what you can change (your actions, your choices) and what depends on others or the context.
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- Repeat a simple phrase to yourself like “I’m doing my best, the rest is not up to me . ”
3. Create micro-breaks throughout the day
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- 2 minutes without a phone, just to breathe or look around.
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- Take the time for a ritual (mindfully drinking coffee/tea, walking slowly, listening to a song without doing anything else).
4. Change your relationship with thoughts
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- Thoughts are not truths, but passing clouds. Observing without clinging to them helps put things into perspective.
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- Writing down your concerns in a notebook can “clear” the mind.
5. Cultivate “non-doing”
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- Allow yourself unproductive moments (looking at the sky, listening to the silence).
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- Practice mindfulness meditation or guided relaxation exercises.
6. Simplify when possible
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- Reduce unnecessary commitments.
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- Say “no” when you feel you are fed up.
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- Tidy up or organize your space: the outdoors soothes the indoors.
Daily program to let go
Here’s a 5- to 10-minute daily program to practice letting go without disrupting your schedule:
🌅 Morning (2 min) – Grounding Breathing
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- Sit comfortably, close your eyes.
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- Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of 4.
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- Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 6.
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- Repeat 5 cycles.
👉 This calms the nervous system and prepares the mind.
- Repeat 5 cycles.
🕑 During the day (3 min) – Conscious pause
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- Pick a time when you feel the pressure building.
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- Observe 3 things you see, 3 sounds you hear, 3 bodily sensations (hot/cold, tension/relaxation).
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- Then continue with your day.
- 👉 This exercise brings you back to the present and cuts off the flow of thoughts.
🌆 At the end of the day (3 min) – Mental discharge
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- Take a notebook or a piece of paper.
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- Write down everything that’s on your mind (to-do lists, worries, frustrations).
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- Read it quickly, then close the notebook.
👉 Your mind frees itself, you « put down » what doesn’t need to accompany you.
- Read it quickly, then close the notebook.
🌙 Before sleeping (2 min) – Mini body scan
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- Lie down, close your eyes.
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- Pay attention successively to: forehead, jaws, shoulders, stomach, legs.
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- In each area, voluntarily release tension.
👉 This helps the body move into rest mode.
- In each area, voluntarily release tension.
💡 Tip: Set a reminder on your phone so you don’t forget these mini-rituals. Regularity is more important than duration.
Letting go is not a state that we achieve once and for all, but a daily practice , made up of small, simple and regular gestures. It is established little by little, through conscious breathing , attention to the present moment, acceptance of what we cannot change and the ability to create space within ourselves. By giving ourselves micro breaks, by lightening our mind through writing or by relaxing the body, we learn to no longer let ourselves be overwhelmed by external agitation. With consistency and kindness, letting go becomes a reflex, an art of living that offers more inner freedom and serenity in everyday life.
Do you have a story to tell us about letting go or anything else related to your mental health? You can write to us here .