Well-Being Snippet: Using ARC For A Mindful Pause

This video is one in a series of short videos that offer practical tools you can carry into your day to reduce stress and cultivate greater well-being.

In this video I will teach you how you can use the acronym "ARC" and its accompanying words to help you stay aligned with the best version of yourself, even when stress may try to pull you off course.

This video is purely for educational purposes and is not intended as psychological treatment or intervention of any kind.

Transcript

Hi, I'm Beth Kurland and today I want to share with you a short mindful pause that uses the acronym ARC, A-R-C, And this mindful pause is really helpful when you have this version of yourself you want to be but you feel yourself getting pulled off course. I know that happens a lot to me and I think for most of us human beings when stress gets in the way we can lose sight of and lose connection to the deepest values that we have, What's most important, Who we most want to be. So this acronym ARC I think of as kind of an arc of a rainbow in the midst of a storm to help us reconnect with what's most important and I'm going to share my screen so that you can see the three parts of this mindful pause and then I'm going to guide you through it just for a minute or so. So the A of ARC is to ask what is here? Can we just notice and name whatever emotions, Physical sensations we might be experiencing? Just allow and accept whatever is arising in this moment. The R of ARC is to reconnect with what's most important in this moment. What is that we most care about? Who do we most want to be right now? And the C of ARC is to see what's needed, To send care to ourselves and really to just ask that question, What is really needed in this moment? So I invite you to think about maybe some way that you want to move forward into your day. Maybe there's a difficult conversation you have to have. Maybe there's steps towards a goal that you want to take that you feel like you've been getting stuck. It's been hard to take those steps that align with the best version of yourself that you know is best for your long-term well-being or for the well-being of others. Whatever that is, To call that to mind right now and you can close your eyes if you like or you can just bring them to a soft gaze looking downward. And thinking about that ARC, The A of ARC really is about asking right now, What is here when you think about the way that you want to move forward? Are there feelings, Difficult emotions perhaps that are present for you that may make it hard to move forward in the manner you want? Might notice any ways that stress is showing up in your body as physical sensations. And see if you can just allow and accept whatever is here. And then the R of ARC is to reconnect with your deepest values. To realign with what is most important to you in this moment. As you picture yourself moving forward, What are the values, Things at your core that you really want to support you going forward? And see if you can feel that now. See if you can connect into the power of that right now. And finally the C of ARC is to see what's needed. To ask yourself what is needed right now as I move forward into the day? Can I send myself some care? And can I go forward reconnecting with that which is most important to me? Showing up as the best version of myself. Take a deeper breath or two coming back into the room. And just knowing you could use this short little mindful pause anytime when you feel like stress is pulling you off course. When you feel like you need to realign with the choices and values that most represent that best version of yourself. I hope this is helpful to you and I wish you much well-being as you go forward into your day, Into your week. Take good care.