Here are some tips for de-stressing in a few seconds in the midst of your day-to-day activity. We all know that if a computer is beginning to run real slow or to stop functioning properly, then if we re-boot it, it's likely it's gonna run much better straight away.
It's the same with our body & mind, we only need a quick re-boot to regain energy, clarity and focus. As with everything it's easier said than done, so how do we remember to do it?
Stop & Focus
By stopping, I mean to stop 'running'. By running, I mean busy 'doing' stuff and not necessarily just 'being', going through my day without stopping to be aware of the state of my body and mind, what I am doing and what emotional state I am in.
First of all we need to choose certain events that will remind us to stop, a bit like setting a timer on the oven to stop our cake burning! Some examples that I personally use are:
- Seeing a beautiful flower: actually stop to look at it close up, perhaps smell it, take three breaths in and out as you fully absorb it's beauty. Nourishing your joy by ingesting it's perfect creation.
Seeing anything beautiful: a lovely sunset, the rising moon, a beautiful tree, wild animals, a smiling child.
A red traffic light: usually seeing a red traffic light can make us stressed! Instead we can use it to remind us to stop thinking and to enjoy three in-breaths and out-breaths. We can relax our muscles, our tensions and let our minds quieten down.
- Make a contract with your stairs! If there is a stairway in your house or at work, you can make a silent contract with yourself that you will always use that stairway to stop your thinking (planning about the future and ruminating on the past) to just be present in your body for the every step.
You really notice every time you move your leg and place a foot on a step, perhaps breathing in for one step and breathing out for the next. If you manage to stop thinking and be really present and aware of your body & breathing for the stairway, your tension will release and you will have that time to replenish and re-set your nervous system.
You can make this same contract with your walk to work or from your car to the supermarket, some people call this 'walking meditation'.
- A Bell (of Mindfulness) : If you hear a bell in the distance, or a chiming clock, you can use it to stop where you are and take three breaths. You can be mindful of how you are feeling, what emotions are present (e.g. stress, anxiety, frustration or peace, joy, calm) and use that information to either strengthen a helpful emotional state or unhook for an unhelpful state.
I have a chiming clock in my house and that way I know that, at minimum, once per hour I am reminded to stop for just 5 to 10 seconds to take a mini-break. It's amazing how, after I have stopped, I can resume my work with so much more calm, focus and awareness. You can also program 'mindfulness bells' on your computer, there are various apps available.
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I often spend so much of my day in the future, planning projects, trying to get stuff done, busy thinking about something. Each day of life is so precious, none of us can know whether we will have a tomorrow. So my practice is to try and spend us many mini-moments in the present moment so I can fully appreciate how wonderful it is to be healthy and alive, with so many amazing conditions of happiness to appreciate (food to eat, shelter over my head, healthy children, good friends etc).
The more time I spend in the present moment each day, the more I feel like I have fully lived this day and the more happy I feel.
Hope you enjoy some mini-moments of stopping and do please let me know any tips you find for stopping so that we can all benefit from your wisdom.
With smiles to your day,
Will