The First Tool You Must Have & Do To Reset, Refresh, & Re-connect!
Tool #1-The Focused Calm Breath
I have talked about and shared this very vital tool numerous times in my eNews.
It is the first tool all my clients learn to use consciously, yet it still warrants the first place to begin this journey of resetting, refreshing, and re-connecting.
The American Institute of Stress deems focused calm breathing as a Super stress buster.
It is well known and documented how it triggers the Relaxation Response, which is a term coined by Herbert Benson, a professor, cardiologist, author, and founder of Harvard’s Mind/Body Medical Institute.
When the Relaxation Response is initiated, it releases chemicals that allow the muscles and organs to relax and increases blood flow to the brain.
What I like about using this tool is that is will redirect you away from stressful thoughts and feelings and get you focused in a direction that is more body-oriented, which begins the reset process.
It’s also simple, at your immediate avail, and works!
Here’s how to do this Quick Stress Relief Tool:
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- Bring your attention to your breathing.
- Now, as you inhale, bring your awareness to your belly, your center.
- You may want to put your hands on your belly.
- Feel/Notice your belly expand outward as you inhale.
- You are breathing abdominally now…bringing in more oxygen, which supports more relaxation and more blood flow to your brain!
- Exhale slowly.
- If you have your hands on your abdomen, you’ll feel your abdomen sink down into your body.
- Now, simply do this several times.
You can do this as a quick way to break up the cycle of stress and anxiety in your mind and body as soon as you notice it happening.
And, you can use this tool proactively-decide that you will do this throughout your day.
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- Set a timer and take a “focused calm breathing break” every 2-3 hours.
- Stay focused on your breathing for 2,3 or 5 minutes at a time.
By doing this throughout your day, you’ll be setting yourself up for success by not being as easily swayed by the external “hooha” going on around you and will be giving yourself a consistent “reset” every few hours.
It’ll feel refreshing and allow you to re-connect to your innate brilliance, creativity, and solution-oriented mind.
It’s in the quiet of the mind that our best solutions are found!
You might like this slight variation on this tool:
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- As you inhale, lightly press your forefinger and thumb together.
- On the exhale, let them separate. This body connection is a good “anchor” (association) of the relaxation response you are creating for yourself.
Experiment to see what feels best for you!
Let me know how this works for you by commenting here
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