2 Minute Stressbusting and Mindfullness Exercise-“The Pause”,
Irene Becker, www.justcoachit.com

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What’s the big deal? Why take 2 minutes to try this stressbuster? Scientific studies conclude that it is very important to put our brain in an alpha state where our creativity and connection with our higher power is optimized. This state happens during part of the sleep cycle, during meditation or deep prayer…AND, you can also put your brain into an alpha state by doing the following exercise. Being able to de-stress and relax is also critical to health and longevity.

BONUS: You can do “The Pause” almost anywhere in a couple of minutes. Cultivating your ability to do “The Pause” means trying this exercise consistently three times a day for a few minutes and a time will help you de-stress, re-focus, re-purpose and re-power!
Here is a little stressbusting exercise I call “The Pause”. It is a mindfulness breathing tool you can do as often as you need or like to get rid of fear/anxiety/stress, and get back in touch with the power within.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Go somewhere private where you can remain undisturbed for a few minutes, or close your office door.

2. Close your eyes, breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose to the count of eight (eight breaths in, six breaths out) Make sure to breathe deeply from your diaphragm (if you are breathing correctly your stomach should appear to go out when you are breathing in)

3. With each breath let go of any tension or stress that you are feeling. Just push out every feeling of anger, frustration, judgment, worry, fear or guilt with every breath. Breathe all the negative feelings out, visualize them leaving you and feel a renewed sense of calm.

4. When you have purged yourself of negative thoughts/stressors that are toxic to your health and well-being, do only one thing CONCENTRATE ON YOUR BREATH GOING IN AND OUT. Do not think of anything, push any thoughts away, just concentrate on your breath. Continue doing the pause for three more cycles.

5. When you have evacuated all your negative and fearful feelings through your breath, take a moment to think about the happiest moment in your life. What were you doing, where were you standing, how were you feeling? Remember every single detail of your happiest moment by recalling colors, textures, visual images, sounds, and actions. Hold that memory, grab on to every detail and now let what you were feeling, the joy, the happiness the ecstasy fill your mind.

6. Hold on to that feeling of joy and feel it infuse every fibre of your body with positive energy. Hold on to that feeling and relive your joy.

7. When you are ready, take a couple of cleansing deep breaths, open your eyes and go back to your work, your day or whatever you were doing. You have just spend two or three minutes doing “The Pause”. If it was difficult, try it again until you can get the energy of “The Pause”

Do a couple of more “pauses” today, and let the power within BE WITH YOU! Practice makes perfect, and the more often you practice The Pause the easier it will be to use this mindfulness and stressbusting tool!

Irene Becker, www.justcoachit.com