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Alba

Self-help exercises

For the evenings that need one.

Five general, widely published exercises. They ask nothing of you and track nothing about you — Alba does not record whether you did them.

These are self-help, not therapy

They are general reflection and breathing techniques, of the kind you would find in a self-help book. They are not treatment for any condition, and they are not a substitute for a professional. If low mood, anxiety, or sleeplessness is sticking around, that is worth raising with a qualified healthcare professional — and it is a reasonable thing to bring to an appointment, not a failure of an exercise.

  1. 01

    Paced breathing

    2 minutes

    Breathe in through the nose for a slow count of four, out through the mouth for a count of six. Repeat ten times, letting the out-breath be the longer one. A widely taught general relaxation technique — some people reach for it when a wave of heat arrives, or before sleep.

  2. 02

    The 5–4–3–2–1 grounding walk

    3 minutes

    Name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, one you can taste. A common grounding exercise that pulls attention out of a spiral and back into the room you are standing in.

  3. 03

    The thought that visited

    5 minutes

    Write down a thought that has been circling. Underneath, write what happened just before it arrived, and what you would say to a friend who said it out loud. This is a general reflection exercise in the style of published self-help writing — it is not therapy, and it is not meant to replace it.

  4. 04

    A wind-down that starts earlier than you think

    20 minutes

    Pick a fixed time, an hour before bed. Dim the lights, cool the room, put the phone in another room, and do the same three small things in the same order each night. Commonly discussed general sleep habits — nothing more, and often enough.

  5. 05

    Three lines, once a week

    4 minutes

    One line for something that was harder than it used to be. One for something that was easier. One for something you want to raise at your next appointment. Over a few months these three lines become the most useful page you bring with you.