5 Daily Micro-Practices to Return to Presence

Discover five simple mindfulness micro-practices you can weave into your day to reduce stress, sharpen focus, and reconnect with presence.

Written by Coralie Bengoechea | 26 October 2025

In a world that moves faster than ever, presence has become the new luxury. But returning to presence doesn’t always require long meditations or silent retreats: It begins in small, intentional moments. These micro-practices take less than 5 minutes, but can gently anchor you back into your body, breath, and being.

1. The 3-Breath Reset

This one is the most simple to learn, but always effective: Pause. Take three slow, conscious breaths: inhale through the nose, hold for few seconds, then breathe out through the mouth, feeling more relaxed with every breath. With each inhale, be aware of the sensation of air being drawn in through your nostrils, and your belly filling with air. With each exhale, be aware of the physical sensations such as your shoulders dropping and your body releasing a subtle layer of tension.

Why it works

• Deep breathing calms the nervous system: This micro-practice activates the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing your heart rate and easing tension, helping you reset your mind before responding to whatever comes next.¹

• It clears your mind: This technique allows a brief pause in your day, helps to clear distracting thoughts, allowing you to become more present on the task at hand.²

• Reduces stress: Slowing your breath helps to manage your body's carbon dioxide levels, reducing the excitability of the amygdala (the brain's fear and stress response center) and creating a calming effect.³
  

*Try this whenever you open your phone, change tasks, or walk through a doorway.

2. The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

This remains one of my favourite go-to techniques because it's quick to apply wherever you are, and consistently powerful in restoring presence and calm: Start with a few deep breaths. Then identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel or touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. If you can't sense something (such as taste), just be aware of the absence of it.

Why it works

• Engages the senses: The method forces you to pay attention to your immediate surroundings by consciously observing things you can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste.⁴

• Interrupts rumination: It acts as a 'pause button' by creating a distraction from overwhelming thoughts and feelings, preventing the mind from spiraling. 

• Promotes mindfulness: Focusing on sensory details anchors you in the present moment, which is the core of mindfulness, helping to bring your focus away from overwhelming thoughts fears, and mental loops, thus calming your nervous system and helping to manage anxiety and stress.⁵

• Builds long-term coping skills: With regular practice, the technique can help strengthen the ability to shift your focus and react less intensely to stressful situations.⁶

*Try this before you start work, when you get home, or whenever you are feeling overwhelmed.

3. Ground Through the Feet

Take a minute to step outside barefoot, and draw your attention to your feet. Feel the weight of your body connecting with the earth. Imagine a gentle pulse of energy rising through your soles and spreading throughout your body. This is called 'grounding' (or 'earthing') and is a reminder that the Earth is always beneath you, ready to hold you steady. This practice is great for decreasing stress and improving mental health.

Why it works

• Natural energy balance: The Earth carries a subtle negative charge, while our bodies can build up positive electrical potential from daily exposure to electronics and synthetic surfaces. Direct contact - walking or standing barefoot - allows for a gentle electron exchange that may help re-balance the body’s natural energy.⁷

• Reduced stress and inflammation: Research suggests grounding can lower cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone) and decrease inflammation markers, contributing to better sleep, mood, and pain relief.⁸

• Sensory and physical benefits: Walking barefoot restores sensory feedback to the feet, stimulating nerve endings and strengthening stabilizing muscles. Over time, this enhances balance, coordination, and body awareness.⁹

• Emotional wellbeing: The combined physical and nervous-system effects of grounding can naturally uplift mood and promote a sense of calm and connection.¹⁰

  
  

*Try this first thing in the morning, or any time you feel you need a quick recharge. If you can’t go barefoot outdoors, simply standing on a natural surface, sitting under a tree, or placing your hands on the earth can offer a similar calming effect.

4. The Gratitude Shift

This one does wonders for overall mood. I’ve found it can bring beautiful moments of lightness and calm to my day, even when things feel heavy: Instead of waiting for extraordinary moments to feel joy, attune yourself to the quiet gifts of daily life: the aroma of morning tea, a stranger’s smile, sunlight resting on your face. Let yourself truly feel these moments; they rewire the mind toward gratitude and slows the constant chase for 'more.'

Why it works

• Builds resilience: Regularly appreciating small moments of joy strengthens emotional stability, helping you meet challenges with greater ease.

• Shifts mindset toward positivity: A daily gratitude habit trains your brain to notice what’s working, naturally uplifting mood and fostering optimism.

• Reduces stress: Moments of genuine appreciation calm the nervous system, lowering stress hormones and restoring inner balance.¹¹

• Enhances overall wellbeing: Consistent gratitude practice supports better sleep,¹² stronger immunity, and higher energy, creating harmony between mind and body.¹³

  
  

*Set a few gentle alarms throughout your day as prompts to pause, take a breath, and appreciate one small moment of joy that’s already unfolded.

5. Five Minutes of Flow

Set aside just five minutes each day to do something that sparks creativity or simply makes you feel alive. It could be active, like playing an instrument, sketching, dancing to your favourite song, or brainstorming ideas. Or it could be more reflective, like listening to music, reading, or daydreaming.

Even a few minutes of intentional creative time can shift your energy and mindset. We often lose more than that scrolling on our phones or watching TV. The key is consistency: Five minutes may seem small, but over time, those moments compound into growth, inspiration, and joy. You might even find that once you start, five minutes easily turns into more.

Why it works

• Invites flow: When you’re absorbed in something creative, time softens and self-consciousness fades. You enter a flow state: that effortless rhythm where only the present moment exists.¹⁴

• Brings mindfulness to life: Creative acts naturally draw your focus into what’s right in front of you, much like mindful breathing or meditation.

• Relieves stress: Immersing yourself in a creative task gives your mind a pause from constant thoughts and screens, easing tension and calming the nervous system.¹⁵

• Opens emotional space: Creativity lets you express what words can’t: translating emotions, ideas, or energy into movement, sound, or colour.

• Strengthens focus: The more often you engage creatively, the more you train your mind to stay present and attentive: A skill that spills into every part of life.¹⁶

*Try setting aside five minutes after a meal - a perfect time to let your mind unwind and flow into something creative before moving on with your day.

Closing Reflection

Presence isn’t found in distant places. It’s cultivated in the spaces between your thoughts. Try one or two of these practices today, and let them expand naturally. The more often you return to presence, the more life starts to meet you right where you are.

Since practising these regularly, I’ve become calmer in situations that once heightened my anxiety, and more aware of the small joys I used to miss. I hope they bring you a similar sense of balance and clarity.

If any of these practices resonate, try weaving one or two into your day and share your experience with us at AwakenTrails Collective.

References

1 Better Health Channel. (n.d.). Breathing to reduce stress. Victorian State Government, Australia. Read article

2 GQ Magazine. (2023). Deep breathing exercises: The ultimate guide to relaxation. Read article

3 Berkshire NHS Talking Therapies. (2022). How breathing can reduce stress and anxiety. Read blog

4 Calm. (2023). 5-4-3-2-1: A simple exercise to calm the mind. Read article

5 Trauma Research UK. (2023). The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique. Read article

6 Mental Health Center Kids. (2023). 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique Benefits. Read article

7 Chevalier, G., Sinatra, S. T., Oschman, J. L., Delany, R. M. (2012). Earthing: Health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth’s surface electrons. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. Read study

8 Chevalier et al. (2012). Earthing: Health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth’s surface electrons — Section 2. View section

9 Kim, J., & Son, S. (2018). The effect of barefoot walking on foot muscle strength and balance. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 30(10), 1345-1348. Read study

10 Chevalier, G., et al. (2015). Effects of grounding (earthing) on mood in healthy participants: A pilot study. Psychological Reports, 116(2), 534-542. Read study

11 O’Leary, K., Dockray, S., & Steptoe, A. (2015). The influence of positive affect on cortisol responses to stress: A review and preliminary investigation into gratitude. ScholarSpace, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. View paper

12 Redwine, L., et al. (2016). A pilot randomized study of a gratitude journaling intervention on HRV and inflammatory biomarkers. Psychosomatic Medicine, 78(6), 691-700. Read study

13 Stanford Lifestyle Medicine. (2023). Gratitude & purpose: How practicing gratitude helps physical and mental wellbeing. Read article

14 Pursuit of Happiness. (2023). Mihály Csíkszentmihályi and the psychology of flow. Read article

15 Stuckey, H. L., & Nobel, J. (2010). Creative arts interventions for stress management and health promotion: A review of current literature. American Journal of Public Health, 100(2), 254-263. Read article

16 Cherry, K. (2024). What is flow? Verywell Mind. Read article