Thanks so much for this reply, OriginalMe! Actually I think I typically don't even make it to 10 breathes most of the time. Typically somewhere along the line, I get wrapped up in whatever it is I'm doing at the moment & I forget all about tonglen practice. But that's okay... that's fine. Once I realize this has happened, if my monkey mind is back I just resume.

Tonglen is a 2500 year old Tibetan Buddhist practice. And it can be done for an almost infinite variety of things. So, if doing tonglen helps with your anxiety over the state of the world, you could do a short practice perhaps 3 time a day (or whatever's comfortable for you) where you breathe in, for example: hate, starvation & violence & breathe out "the four limitless qualities": lovingkindness, joy, compassion, & equanimity.

By the way, once you feel you have your intention set in your mind, you don't necessarily have to continue to think or say the words themselves . Simply hold your intention in your mind's eye & breathe.

If you find tonglen practice to be agreeable I would definitely encourage you to read Pema Chodron. The late Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, who first brought these teachings to the West, also has books in print. However, personally I find Pema's books to be more "approachable", if you will.