“Just stop and breathe. Easy, relax. Everything is fine.”
I stress – a lot. So when people tell me to take a deep breath, my first reaction isn’t to pause and thank them. Instead, I tense up, get frustrated, and determinedly decide not to relax in protest.
Naturally, this just continues my fight or flight response, and inevitably I have to make myself relax. But it’s not an easy task when I am running on adrenaline and anxiety. I have had to learn how to de-stress on my own terms, and that means making space for myself to process, breathe deeply, and practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness can take many forms, so I love how simple the infographic from The Garrison Institute makes it. In 10 steps, it shows how to decompress, calm and reset.
- Create time and space
- Set a timer
- Find a comfortable sitting position
- Check your posture
- Take a deep breath
- Direct attention to your breath
- Maintain attention to your breath
- Repeat steps 6-7
- Be kind to yourself
- Prepare for a soft landing
