mindfulness techniques to help bring on some calm

“Mindfulness” is a practice of intentionally focusing on one’s present moment experience without judgment or striving. While this sounds simple, in practice it's really anything but. 

Why mindfulness in a discussion on coaching, burnout and workplace stress? It might seem a bit out of place or woo-woo to talk about mindfulness here. However, we think it's a critical skill to develop, useful to everyone in almost any context, that will help by teaching you to read the signals your body is already sending you about what you need, what you want, and what you don’t. 

Have you ever seen someone’s name pop up in your email box and had an almost automatic reaction of dread, anxiety or anger? Have you ever felt butterflies or felt sick to your stomach before a big meeting or presentation? Practicing mindfulness can help you tune in to what is happening right now, which makes you a better listener overall and helps you respond and act more intentionally - especially when you notice the signals that you’ve been triggered in some way. Gaining a sense of choice and control over your reactions can help you feel better quickly. 

Here are some of our favorite mindfulness techniques. Try out a few and let us know what you think! 

box breathing

This technique goes by a bunch of different names (you’ll also find it across the internet as ‘square breathing’, ‘4x4 breathing’ or ‘equal breathing’) but is an evidence based technique to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps take the body out of the ‘fight or flight’ stress reaction. It’s really easy to try: (1) breathe in deeply for four counts, (2) hold for four counts, (3) breathe out for four counts, and (4) hold for four counts. Repeat as many times as you can or need to. 

5-4-3-2-1

This technique helps you feel more grounded and brings you back to the present moment when you find anxiety is taking over. Take a few deep breaths and then notice: (1) five things you can see around you, (2) four things you can feel / touch around you, (3) three things you can hear around you, (2) two things you can smell around you and (1) one thing you can taste. 

body scan

Another simple and effective way to bring yourself into the present moment is to do a quick body scan meditation. This technique involves quickly scanning your body from head to toe for tension, stress or pain. Take a few minutes to start at your toes and work all the way up to the top of your head, focusing your thoughts on the sensations in your body. This can be very effective in bringing your thoughts back to the present moment, but caution: if you have a history of pain, injury or trauma you should explore this technique with professional support.