> Do you ever arrive somewhere, whether driving or on foot, and realise you were on auto-pilot the whole time?
> Do you get to the end of the day and wonder where the time went? Or maybe, for you, Friday seems to hit you in the face, and just as quickly it is Sunday night and the next week is about to start again?
> Do you just feel a general feeling of rushing from one thing to another?
These are common experiences, and stress is something I work with most of my clients on. Time appears to speed up when we are juggling a lot, and let’s face it, who’s modern day life isn’t filled to the brim? That’s not about to change any time soon, so the question becomes…
Can we actually change our brain to respond in a better way to stress?
And the answer is, yes! And it has been proven.
In a recent Harvard Business Review article outlines how mindfulness practices enhance our ability to embrace change and manage stress. There are SO MANY benefits to practicing being present in our everyday lives.
SO, here are 3 EASY tips to staying present throughout your day:
1. BREATHE: diaphragmatic breathing is a great way to bring yourself into the present moment, because your attention is solely within your body, it removes the space for errant thoughts.
>> How to: Place one hand on your chest, the other on your belly. Breathe through your nose down into your belly, feeling how the breath moves the hand resting on your abdomen. Repeat 10 times.
2. SENSES: as soon as you are giving all of your attention to your hearing/sight/taste etc, you are unable to be focussed outside of yourself on unnecessary thoughts.
>> How to: Put a 5min timer on your phone right now. Bring all of your attention to the various sounds you can hear right now – both close and far away. And observe. Be curious and open to the variety of sounds around you right now.
OR Bring all of your attention to your feet in your shoes, notice how each of your toes feel.
3. REMINDERS: It can be difficult to remember to do these kinds of things sometimes, so set yourself reminders that will work for YOU. Whether they are sticky notes on your wall, a picture on your desktop, OR an alarm on your phone. Do what works for you.
Staying in the present moment takes practice, and these tips can assist in keeping you on track and working with purpose. If you feel you could benefit from a deeper dive to alleviate some of that stress, I would love to work with you in a Mind Body Medicine & Kinesiology session – call 83571851 to book your initial. Special Offer of 20% off for an initial session for readers when you book in April 2017.
Stay present,
Prue x
Written by Prue Stugeon – Potts Point
