Taking a mindful break

Many of you have shared with me that the current pace of life does not feel sustainable — between constantly shifting COVID-19 landscapes and ongoing sociopolitical conflicts around the world — it has been a rough couple of years. When I am feeling stretched thin, I like taking an intentional, mindful break. This is differentiated from less intentional numbing type of activities such as scrolling through Reddit or zoning out to HBO Max. The next time you notice yourself feeling particularly stressed or overwhelmed, I encourage you to try one of the following activities:

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Take a walk: Modern life seems designed to make us stay in one place — sitting, standing, or lying down — for long periods of time. Find an excuse to use muscles that are feeling lonely and neglected. Raise your heart rate a little.

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Eat lunch somewhere pleasant: Taking lunch at your desk ensures your mind will stay in the same frame of reference while you are eating, particularly if you’re checking email or doing work at the same time. Go somewhere else to have lunch, let go and enjoy. Then come back to work a little refreshed.

Relax your muscles with a body scan: Progressive muscular relaxation can help you notice where you are holding stress. It does not take long and it is simple to do: Lie down comfortably on your back with your legs straight. Close your eyes. Start by tensing muscles in your feet, then relax. Work your way up your body doing the same thing in sequence from your feet to your head. Often, it’s only by experiencing muscle tension and letting it go that we become aware of just how much tension our bodies are retaining.

Minimize multitasking: Sometimes it’s necessary to be doing several things at once (or at least in rapid succession). But too much multitasking, jumping around from one thing to another to another — in a constant state of partial attention — is exhausting, inefficient, and highly stressful. Instead of checking emails, planning supper, writing a report, and texting your sister, try giving full attention to one thing at a time.

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Get your face out of your phone: Your phone is your everything, all-the-time, go-to, distractor device. It is like having someone nudging and nagging you all day. It constantly steals your attention. Set some boundaries on when, where, and how you will use it. Beware letting it dominate during social occasions. Try putting it away completely during meals and parties. Pick a few places — doorways, elevators, in line at the store — where you can make a mental note to avoid it and take those moments when you’d be deep in cyber world to follow your breath instead.

Look at something green: Are your sightlines constantly filled with brick, concrete, glass, and carpet? How about spending a little more time where things are growing, breathing, giving off fragrance, swaying in the wind, and glistening in the sun? Nothing like a little nature to slow you down and show you the big picture.

Play: Playing isn’t restricted to children. Playing simply means doing something that has no purpose, plan, or aim. Wander the streets, play cards, go bowling, read for pleasure. The surprises that come from letting yourself go can exhilarate and refresh.

Go for a swim: Swimming some laps is just the right kind of boredom to help you de-stress. It uses a lot of muscle groups and is great if you have old injuries that would make an activity like running difficult. And bonus: You cannot use your phone or watch TV while submerged in water. You can hear yourself think. Or not think.

Read something out loud: A good piece of writing or poetry read aloud can have a very soothing effect. That is why children love to be read to. If you are not a fan of your own voice, try listening to an audiobook.
Listen, really listen, to a piece of music: Sit or lie down and listen to an entire album, symphony, opera, or whatever suits your taste. You may feel yourself twitching or reaching for your phone at first, but soon you will sink into the sounds.

Listen, really listen, to a piece of music: Sit or lie down and listen to an entire album, symphony, opera, or whatever suits your taste. You may feel yourself twitching or reaching for your phone at first, but soon you will sink into the sounds.

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