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We’re living in a time when some of our daily vocabulary includes words like self-care, meditation and mindfulness. It’s no surprise that wellness has become a new trend, but how do we shift our wellness from a trend to a daily practice?
My journey from burnout to wellness.
I didn’t think much about these terms or my overall wellness until about eight years ago in my role as Tour Manager, Special Events. I’d just completed my third WE Day tour (a stadium-sized youth empowerment event) across North America, living out of a suitcase, taking 32 flights, managing three events a day, seven days a week for 11 weeks straight — it was no wonder I burnt out!
This was a time in my life where I didn’t have the tools or knowledge to effectively manage my stress and anxiety while on the road. It wasn’t until two years after my burnout that I happened across a 200-hour yoga teaching course that literally changed my path. I learned how to create a lifestyle that included a weekly yoga practice (see how I said weekly? It doesn’t have to be daily) and getting out in nature to help me nourish myself and find my voice again.
Mindfulness is not always what you think it is
Mindfulness and meditation doesn’t mean running to the top of a mountain and leaving our problems behind every time we’re stressed out because, let’s be honest, ain’t nobody got time for that! Instead, mindfulness is about being conscious or aware when something’s out of alignment. Yoga helped me find balance by giving me the tools to calm my mind and body when I’m feeling burnt out.
When you think of yoga, mindfulness and meditation, you might be picturing a room full of sweaty people moving their bodies. Or maybe people seated cross-legged in complete silence. You might feel you either don’t have time or patience for that, or you might even be daunted by the thought of sitting still for that long. Besides, studies show we’re only fully present for seven seconds at a time. Seven seconds! Right about now you may be asking yourself then why even bother?
Meditation and mindfulness doesn’t have to be a drawn-out process.
Sure, those are the depictions we’re used to, but you don’t need to crunch an hour of yoga into your day or even take a 200-hour yoga teacher training course like I did. We can use those seven seconds to begin to build habits that’ll help us with feeling overwhelmed and burnt out.
Reset your day in under 10 seconds.
So, how do we start building habits and a daily wellness practice with the seven seconds we have? Let’s start by creating the affirmation “All I need is seven seconds.” Those seven seconds may be the total reset to your day!
Start small with a little breathing exercise. Wherever you are right now, take a breath in through your nose, followed by a long sigh out of the mouth. Hahhhhhhhhh.
Now, let’s do that two more times.
How did it feel? Was there a shift in your body? In your thoughts?
Box breathing.
Apart from that simple breathing exercise, another technique you can try is box breathing. Box breathing is a way to slow down your breathing and distract your mind. Doing this can calm your nervous system and decrease stress in your body.
Keep this little tool for your back pocket on those days you are feeling overwhelmed.
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Box breathing guide
Bonus: Build in your seven second rule! As you develop lung capacity, see if you can extend your exhale (Step 3) to seven seconds of breath out. |
Other small but mighty practices to keep in your Mindfulness Tool Box.
If box breathing isn’t quite your thing or you’d like to have a variety of different tools at your fingertips for daily wellness, here are other simple ways to practice mindfulness.
- Affirmations / “I am _________” statements: Be sure to include positive dialogue throughout your day. Changing our chatter to words like “can” and “will” instead of “I can’t” or “that’s impossible” or “I don’t”. The positive talk goes a long way!
- Practice gratitude: Gratitude is my attitude. We’ve heard it before, start by listing three things you’re grateful for — right now, it’s grilled cheese for me. Remember, keep it simple! Sometimes the smallest things bring so much joy to our lives!
- Reflect on your needs: Ask yourself “what does my body need today?” and “how can I make that happen?”
Keep it simple. Mindfulness should not feel like another chore to add to the To Do List. Actually, that’d be quite a contradiction. Being mindful can be as simple as using seven seconds to build daily wellness practices, taking a breath , enjoying your meal without any distractions or leaving your phone on silent during a forest walk. Simple yet impactful.
Give wellness a try.
Join me in these guided breathing and meditations to get started on your wellness journey.
Short mindfulness practice
Guided meditation
Stay tuned for Wagepoint’s Year-End Survival KITs.
Year-end is approaching. Don’t go into it alone! Wagepoint’s Year-End Survival KITs (KIT stands for Keeping It Together) are making a comeback and will soon be coming your way. Keep an eye on the Wagepoint blog for our 2022 KITs filled with payroll year-end tips, tricks, guides, calendars and wellness content like this blog.
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Source: Uberflip
