Remember to Stop and Breathe
Updated: Jan 20
Take a Moment to Stop Press PAUSE & Just BE
There are times in life when we get so engrossed in our day-to-day responsibilities that we forget to stop and take a BREATH. And it is usually not until we become so tired and worn out that we realize we have been moving so fast that we forgot what it feels like to stop and just BE. I have experienced that feeling of exhaustion from doing too much without taking time out for a moment of rest. By that point our bodies have begun to give us cues and signs that it is time to press the PAUSE button. We begin to feel overwhelmed, extremely tired (even when we think we had a good night’s sleep), irritated and even physically sick. Once we hit this point, we do not have a choice, we are in some way forced to “Stop and Breath!" Let’s not wait until we get to that point. Instead find ways to put yourself first by figuring out how to fit moments of relaxation into your morning, afternoon (lunch time), bedtime or any time of day.
Here are some suggestions:
Take a five-minute meditation break
Engage in a breathing exercise
Move (dance, Pilates, Yoga, stretching, walking)
Read a quick section in the book you are slowly working your way through
Just sit in silence
You may look at your schedule for the day or week and think you have no time to fit this in, but that is why and when you should be sure that you do. In those moments remember that it is okay and necessary to Stop, Breathe and Take a Moment to just BE.
Put Yourself First
There have been days when I've put the above activities into practice making the act of taking time for myself a priority over anything else. When I take those few minutes to breath, I emerge relaxed, refreshed and renewed, with the energy I need to go on with my day. Putting myself first means that on some days I make sure to exercise (usually walking) and stretch before starting the housework, cooking, cleaning, or even my creative work that has to be done. I make it a point to also “Find my Flow” through fluid movement and “Create my own Bliss” by incorporating 5–15 minutes of meditation or laying on my back in silence.
One of my favorite things to do after a Pilates and stretch session is to lay flat on my back in “Star Pose” with my legs outstretched and arms out to the side. I close my eyes and just lay still, focusing on relaxing every muscle in my body and clearing my mind of the clutter. After about 5–10 minutes I roll over onto my stomach push back into “child’s pose” for a few seconds before coming to my feet and rising up to a standing position. Afterwards, my mind is renewed, my body is relaxed, and I am ready to concur the evening.
Taking time for yourself is so important but it can be hard to do at times because it is often times consuming. If you are the type of person who needs to stay on task and stresses out when you don’t you may need to “Stop, Breath”, and press the PAUSE button to have a little self-talk.
Start by telling yourself that it is okay to get off track sometimes. Once you have freed your mind of the anxiety of getting off track consider adding the time you want to spend exercising, stretching and or relaxing to your daily/weekly/monthly schedule so that you can ensure it gets done. Making it part of your schedule will help you stay on track.
The benefits will be well worth it. I speak from experience. When I take moments for myself regardless of what else I have to do I find that I am more relaxed and at Peace which makes moving through the rest of the day-to-day activities a lot less stressful.
A WAYS TO NJOYPEACE Expression!