大象传媒

Good Morning

I wonder what kind of day is stretching out in front of you. Will it be peaceful and unhurried?聽 Or will it be busy and full, with each task and activity merging into another until you fall into bed?

Many of us have days when the action never stops, and it seems impossible to take even just a minute out. Yet those 60 seconds could have all kinds of benefits for both body and mind. Our heartbeat could slow down and our muscles relax. We may become more aware of our feelings, which often have an important message to tell us. In the gap, we might notice that we鈥檝e overlooked someone or something that鈥檚 important to us. Above all, a micro-break is a form of self-care, of showing kindness to ourselves.

My problem is, the busier I am, the less likely I am to press my pause button and reboot. So here鈥檚 a helpful method that I鈥檝e come across. It starts off with sitting comfortably, and taking a couple of deep breaths, from the stomach rather than the upper chest. Then I use a clock or watch to time myself for exactly a minute while I breathe in and out. Each inhalation and exhalation is counted as one. It doesn鈥檛 matter how many breaths I take 鈥搃t鈥檚 the total that counts . Next time I won鈥檛 need a clock. When I take that same number of breaths, in a calm and relaxed way, I鈥檒l know that I鈥檝e given myself the luxury of a minute out.

At the bus stop, on the train, or even at the traffic lights, between classes or appointments, or just before we eat - let鈥檚 pray that we can all find just a minute to ourselves during the coming day.聽