When your head is busy, your breath is the quickest thing you can change. You always have it with you.
The calm out-breath
- Breathe in gently through your nose and count to four.
- Breathe out slowly through your mouth and count to six.
- Do this five times.
A longer out-breath tells your body it is safe. Don't force anything: if four and six don't work, take three and five.
A three-minute pause
Use this whenever you notice you feel rushed.
- Minute one: what is here? Notice what you think and feel, without changing it.
- Minute two: your breath. Rest your attention on breathing in and out.
- Minute three: your body. Feel your feet on the floor, your hands, your shoulders.
Then carry on with what you were doing. Often with a little more room.
Tips
- Link it to something you already do: before you open your email, when you switch on the kettle.
- Don't set an alarm that rushes you. A gentle reminder is enough.
- Didn't work? That is useful too. Write down when it was hard.