Clare Josa | Author And Keynote Speaker

UK's Foremost Imposter Syndrome Expert, International Keynote Speaker & 8x Author

mindfulness techniques

Do You Need To PAUSE Today? It’s A 60 Second De-Stressing Mindfulness Technique You Won’t Want To Miss

How To Change Your Life

I was talking to some students recently about how you can work with mindfulness techniques to let go of stresses and icky emotions in under a minute. It’s funny how people rarely believe such a claim – until they have tried it. Of course, it takes practice to get the most out of it – just as with any skill – but this mindfulness exercise is one you won’t want to miss. Is it time for you to PAUSE today?

Mindfulness meditation is a brilliant way of coming back to the ‘present moment’, to what’s ‘real’, leaving behind the stories and drama of the Monkey Mind.

If you’re feeling stressed or there’s a powerful emotion running for you, you can use this technique as a kind of ‘First Aid’, to help you get back to a sense of equilibrium – then it’s much easier to see solutions.

Here’s a summary:

PAUSE-how-to-de-stress-with-mindfulness

Here’s the detail:

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Pause

 Press the ‘Pause’ button & breathe
Visualise pressing ‘pause’.
Then take 3 deep mindful breaths, breathing in from your belly to your chest, then breathing out with a releasing ‘ahhh’ sound.
 

Accept

 Accept where you’re at.
Become aware of what’s ‘real’ – rather than the story your mind was telling you. What’s physically ‘here’ for you, in this moment? What is happening in your body? With your emotions? With your thoughts? Accept all of this -there’s no need to change it. Let go and relax into accepting.
 

Understand

 Understand – a kind of deep knowing – that this too will pass.
Nothing lasts forever. Whatever is ‘real’ for you right now will pass, in time. You may need to take inspired action, but it will pass. The pain is amplified by the stories we tell ourselves about the situation. The stories aren’t real. They’re just stories (even if they’re good’uns!). Let go of the story and allow your deep understanding – your inner wisdom – to wash through the situation.
 

Smile

 Smile – even if just a gentle half-smile.
Smiling, even if you’re not feeling like it, releases endorphins (or little dolphins, as my friend’s son used to say!) into your bloodstream, giving you a very natural high. After just a few seconds of smiling, those little hormones start to trigger chemical reactions that trigger happier emotions, also reducing your stress levels. It doesn’t matter if you’re faking it, smiling quickly shifts your emotions, mind and body to a better space. Need encouragement: here’s an article with a little experiement you can use to prove to yourself why it’s so important to choose to smile, when things get tough.
 

Enjoy

 Whatever is going on in your life, allow yourself to enjoy this moment.
Right here, right now, allow yourself even just a few seconds to enjoy this moment. Let go and relax into it, knowing that this space is waiting here for you, 24/7, whenever you need it.

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There you have it! One of my favourite 60 second mindfulness de-stressing techniques.

Want to try it out? You don’t have to wait for a stressed or grumpy mood to enjoy it!

I’d love to hear how you get on with it – via the comments box. And, if it helps you, perhaps you’d like to share it with your friends?

If you’d like to go deeper and discover how just 10 minutes a day could change your life, it’s worth joining in with our 28 Day Meditation Challenge online course.

The Great Raisin Experiment – Mindfulness

Inspirational Messages

Being mindful is about a state of being – a particular way of choosing to experience life, in the present moment – rather than letting our mind run riot over past mistakes and future worries, whilst sleep-walking through what’s actually going on around us.

As you can no doubt imagine, this is a handy skill to develop.

Here’s more about What Is Mindfulness.

 

Raisin Mindfulness Experiment

Experimenting with a simple raisin (or other small piece of dried fruit) can help us get back into the present moment.

Most of us eat raisins by grabbing a handful, throwing them in our mouth and giving them a quick munch before swallowing. This next raisin is going to be a quite different experience!

 

  1. Grab a raisin – just one – or a similar dried fruit, if raisins aren’t your thing.
  2. Sit comfortably.
  3. It’s time to wrap your senses round your raisin. Look at it. Really see it. What do you notice? Can you see its texture? What about the bumps and lumps? Is it shiny?
  4. Have a sniff. What does it smell like? Let your fingertips really feel the shape and texture. Allow yourself to become fully absorbed in the experience.
  5. If your mind wanders during this experience, just allow it to be gently guided back to your raisin.
  6. After a few minutes, pop the raisin in your mouth – but it’s not time to chew yet! Spend a little while focussing on what it feels like in your mouth, with your tongue and your teeth.
  7. Then, when you’re ready, take a bite. Have a good chew. Notice the full experience of the raisin’s flavour – how it builds in your mouth. How incredibly sweet it is.
  8. When you have swallowed the raisin, you’ll notice you can still taste it for a while.

How did this experience compare to your usual raisin-munching experience?

Chances are it was much more vivid.

Did you notice things you wouldn’t normally notice?

Did you enjoy it more?

What have you learned about how being mindful – aware, in the present moment – can impact your experience of eating a raisin?

How could you take these learnings and apply them elsewhere in your life?

We’d love to hear about your experiences, via the comments box below.
P.S. If you’d like to experience more mindfulness techniques and discover how ten minutes a day can change your life, you might want to join in with the 28 Day Meditation Challenge.

 

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