Get Calm Quick Using S.T.O.P

STOP: A Simple Practice for Finding Your Calm

Feeling stressed, frustrated, or close to reacting in a way you might regret? In this short and practical talk, Anja shares STOP — a simple four-step technique to help you pause, reconnect with yourself, and find a calmer way forward.

S — Stillness | T — Tune In | O — Observe | P — Present Moment

Drawing from her own experiences, including parenting teenagers, Anja will guide you through a relatable everyday scenario and show you how just a few mindful moments can shift the way you respond.

No yoga mat required — just a willingness to pause, breathe, and come back to yourself.

You’ve got this.

Transcript

Hi, It's Anya here and I'd like to share with you a technique today that can help you get in a calmer state when you're stressed out. Or frustrated with a particular situation. I'll get straight to the point as this is a quick one. Here's an acronym that helps me to get to the similar feeling that I'd get on my yoga mat and through a complete yoga session, But much faster. It's for those times you need a pause, A reset. I used it a lot when I was parenting my teens and I still use it often just to recenter myself. To connect back in. And move on through my day with a calmer energy. The acronym is STOP. F T O P Here's what each letter stands for and then I'll take you through a brief scenario. So S is for getting still. T is for tuning in. O is for observing. And P is for the present moment. I'll just run that again. S is for getting still. T is for tuning in. O is for observing. And P is for present moment. So imagine a scenario where you're super frustrated or annoyed. You feel out of balance, Or about to react in a way that you will not feel good about. I'm going to use a real one for me and you can slot your own scenario in here too. I've come home from work and there are dirty dishes in the sink. I hear kids playing, Shouting in the background and I just tripped over a backpack. The dog has no water in a bowl and I'm ready to explode. I don't need this. So with the acronym S, I get still, I freeze in place, I pause. And then T, I tune into myself and ask, What is really going on here? I'm upset, I feel underappreciated, I'm sad, Tired, I had an argument with my spouse on the way home and it's lingering. Whatever it is. I'm going to use your adult brain to just quickly tune into the underlying truth or reason you're going to react largely with big emotions. And here's a quick tip. It's never about the messy homes. M-K-O. Observe. So here's where we drop into our body. Where do you feel the feeling? What is your breath doing? Perhaps it's I feel it in my chest, My shoulders are up by my ears. Maybe even with the breath, Where do you feel that? Is it short? Can you hardly connect to it? And the final piece, P, Present moment. Bring yourself back here by feeling your feet. Feel the floor underneath them, The feel of your socks or shoes. Get super present. As you place one hand on your heart and one hand on your body. And breathe. I like the mantra right here, Right now, All is well. See, From this place you can now decide consciously. What your next steps or actions will be. Okay, Just a quick refresh. S we need to immediately get still sometimes I've even had to put my hand over my mouth in this pause to get out of the emotional release of shouting first okay and then T tune in what are you really feeling what's the underlying emotion here o We're observing your body and your breath. It gets quicker to do this after a few practices. Trust me. And then P. Get present, Meet your authentic self in the present moment. I'd love to hear if this is helpful for you and if you'd be interested in a longer version or if you need any clarity around any steps. You've got this. I'm cheering you on and making changes to support your calm, Authentic self, Showing up more in your life. Here's a James Clear quote, It's simply, You get better at what you practice.