Creating your calm place

We all face different stressors in our lives. At times, we all experience a state of mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. Different people cope with pressure differently- your age, experience and overall resilience affect your ability to cope with stress. 

Meditation and mindfulness are becoming increasingly popular as coping techniques. If practiced regularly, 

they can help you become less reactive to stressful situations and have more control over your responses.  They activate the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for ‘’rest and digest’’ phase and acts like our break. It slows the stress response by releasing hormones that relax the mind and body while inhibiting many of the high energy functions of the body. You mind and body can have a well-deserved rest...

Mediation helps us learn how to draw strength, inspiration and clarity from within. We start looking for these things inside us, as opposed to relying on other people or external circumstances. This in turn teaches us how to control the response to stressful situations that are beyond our control. It lets us see more clearly the subtle workings of our mind, emotions and body.

Mindfulness is a technique which involves noticing what's happening in the present moment, without judgement. You pause for a while and stop acting on autopilot. You become aware of your mind, body or environment that you are in. By bringing your attention to the present, you can notice what you body is telling you. You can also create some space between you and your thoughts. With this space, you can actually reflect on the situation and react more calmly.  

Essentially, mindfulness helps you feel calmer and less stressed, cope with difficult thoughts and be kinder to yourself. It also helps you feel more able to choose how to respond to your thoughts and feelings (as opposed to being too reactive). 

Trying just a few exercises throughout the day could help you achieve a better work-life balance. The aim of the activities that we will practice together is to create a habit of doing something simple each day at workplace in a more mindful way. It is about letting go of distractions, being present, and focusing on your senses so that you can actually experience the activity. Some of these exercises can be done even on your commute or at your desk.  

Breathing is a very basic yet powerful tool to combat stress. There is plenty of research showing how it has a positive impact on your entire physical and mental state. It significantly helps you feel more peaceful and balanced. The idea is simply to focus your attention on the breath. During my sessions, I introduce different techniques where we practice the observation, control, expansion, retention and manipulation of the breath. 

The main take-away from such sessions is the understanding that focusing on the breath can serve as an anchor during stressful moments. This is something you can turn your attention to at any time if you start to feel stressed or distracted by negative emotions.