Hey everyone,
Let’s talk about it: Those times when we feel overwhelmed with stress. The times we feel like we are crumbling under the weight of figuring everything out and handling it all. In my experience and research, the number one reason we feel overwhelmed is because our minds are stuck in overdrive. And we’re stuck in overdrive because that is the way of this culture.
Growing up, I always thought that the right thing to do was hustle. Push. Get as much done and as efficiently as possible. Sleep and rest and play are EARNED after hard work. Now I feel that living more slowly, bringing rest and mindfulness into my day, are actually revolutionary acts that our society deeply needs.
This isn’t a revolution of taking up arms. The Restful Life Revolution, as I like to call it, is a revolution that will be carried out within the mind, heart and body of each person who chooses to slow down and step back from the rush.
But how?
Through mindfulness. Gently bringing our awareness back to the present.
In this week’s Cloud Dojo TV episode, we are diving into 7 ways that I have found really help to bring more mindfulness – and reduce stress responses – in my life. Heaven knows I needed these, so hopefully they help you as well!
One of the tips I share in this episode is about taking little breaks through the day to bring the body back to presence. I wanted to dive into that a bit more on the blog and share 3 concrete ways to do this if you’re looking for inspiration:
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The 6-Sense Check-In: Feeling overwhelmed? Take a quick pause and simply notice what’s around you. What is one thing you can see? Hear? Smell? Taste? Touch? And if you check in with your gut, what is one bit of wisdom there for you to intuit? This simple act of grounding yourself in your senses can instantly bring you back to the present moment.
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One Full Breath: Breathing can get quite shallow if we are holding even low-level tension throughout the day. So for this option, you simply breath out fully. Then breath out some more. See if you can squeeze out every bit of air. Then take a breath in, and then keep going. See if there are more nooks and crannies in your body that you can fill up with breath. Hold for a count of three, then slowly exhale.
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Deeply Observe: Choose one object in front of you to focus on. As you follow your breathing, bring this object more and more into your awareness. Just sit with it and observe all you can about it in this present moment, without adding in any of your own thoughts or analysis about it. As you become more used to this exercise, try swapping out the object for one emotion you are feeling or one thought you are having.
I know this is super simple, which is a quality I have often equated with having low-value. But through my Restful Life Revolution journey, I’ve come to appreciate the profound power of the simple to bring me back into balance.
I hope these ideas served you, and if you’re ready for more mindfulness and Restful Life inspiration, check out the latest episode from Cloud Dojo!
Here’s wishing you a healthy, happy and vibrant week of mindfulness!
Warmly,
Korie