The short version: check the air quality once or twice a day, not every hour. Follow official health advice. Practise gentle, natural breathing indoors rather than deep breathing by an open window. Move your body with a short stretching sequence. And when the haze lifts, take a slow walk and notice the clear air.
Anyone who has lived in Singapore through a bad haze season knows the feeling: a grey sky, a faint smell of smoke, windows shut for days, plans cancelled. It is not only the air that changes. The mood does too. People feel cooped up, headachy, restless and a little on edge.
This piece is not medical advice. For health guidance, always follow the National Environment Agency’s official haze advisories and speak to a doctor if you have symptoms or health concerns. What I offer here are a few ways to stay steady in mind while the air outside is not good.
The haze I remember most clearly came when I was in secondary school. Training was cancelled for weeks, the view from our corridor disappeared into a grey blur, and I felt more irritable than I could explain. For someone who copes with everything by going outside, being stuck indoors felt like losing my main tool. Those weeks were the first time I really tried to practise at home, on a mat in my bedroom with the windows shut. I was not very good at it, but it was the start of something.
How the haze affects mood
Many people notice that haze weeks feel heavier than ordinary weeks, even beyond the physical discomfort. Routines are disrupted: no outdoor exercise, no walks in the park, children kept indoors. The grey light can feel dull and oppressive. And there is a low hum of worry about health, especially for families with young children or elderly parents.
From a mindfulness point of view, the first step is to notice this honestly. Feeling restless, irritable or low during haze season is a very understandable response to a difficult situation. You do not need to talk yourself out of it. Naming it, perhaps saying quietly “this is the haze talking,” can create a little space between you and the mood.
Checking the PSI without spiralling
During haze season, it is easy to find yourself checking air quality readings over and over: first thing in the morning, at lunch, before bed, every time the sky looks a little different. Each check brings a small jolt of worry, and the numbers start to set the mood for the whole day.
Staying informed matters, and the official readings and advisories are there to help you make sensible decisions. But you probably do not need to check every hour. Choose a couple of set times, such as in the morning and early evening, look at the readings and the advice, decide what that means for your day and then put the phone down.
When you notice the urge to check again, pause and take a breath. Ask yourself whether anything has changed that you need to act on. Often it has not, and you can let the urge pass.
An indoor breathing practice for when the air isn’t good
Many breathing practices encourage long, deep breaths. During haze season, I keep things much gentler, and I practise indoors with the windows closed, not by an open window or outside.
Sit comfortably and let your breathing be natural. Do not try to deepen or control it. Simply notice the breath as it is: the slight coolness as you breathe in, the warmth as you breathe out, the gentle rise and fall of your belly. When your mind drifts to the grey sky or the news, come back to the next breath.
If it helps to have a gentle pace to follow, you can use the breathing timer on this site with a slow, comfortable rhythm, without straining. Five minutes is plenty. The aim is to calm the mind, not to take in more air. If you have asthma or any breathing difficulty, follow your doctor’s advice and skip anything that feels uncomfortable.
Indoor movement
Without my runs and walks, my body gets stiff and restless, and the restlessness spills into my mind. Ten minutes of slow stretching indoors helps more than anything else.
My haze-day sequence: child’s pose for a few easy breaths, slow cat-cow, downward dog with gentle heel pedalling, a few standing side bends, a lying twist on each side, then two minutes with my legs up the wall. I roll out my mat facing the window, even with it shut. Seeing the sky, grey or not, reminds me the weather will change.
Keep it light on poor air days. The aim is to loosen up and feel at home in your body, not to work up a sweat.
Practising with kids at home
Children often feel the restlessness of haze season more strongly than adults. They miss the playground, their energy has nowhere to go, and the days indoors can feel endless.
Simple, playful practices can help. Try a listening game: everyone closes their eyes for one minute and then shares all the sounds they heard. Or a slow-motion game, where everyone moves around the room as slowly as possible. Some children enjoy “belly breathing” with a soft toy resting on their tummy, watching it rise and fall.
Keep it short and fun, and do not insist. A little structure in the day, such as a quiet reading time, a movement break and a calm bedtime routine, often helps the whole household feel steadier.
When the haze lifts
There is a particular joy in the first clear day after the haze: a blue sky, sharp edges on the buildings, a fresh smell in the air. It is worth marking.
When the air quality is good again and official advice says it is safe, take a slow walk outside. Notice the colour of the sky, the clarity of the view, the feeling of the air on your skin. Take a few easy, natural breaths and notice how good it feels simply to be outside.
Moments like this are a reminder that difficult conditions pass, in the weather and in the mind. Practising through the hard weeks makes it easier to fully appreciate the good ones.
