Welcome,
Dear soul.
I invite you to take a moment to pause.
Whether you're listening during a busy workday,
At the end of a long shift,
Or simply feeling mentally overwhelmed,
This time is for you.
If possible,
Find a comfortable position.
You may sit with your feet on the floor or rest back in a chair.
Allow your hands to relax.
And if it feels comfortable,
Gently close your eyes.
Take a slow breath in through the nose.
And release it slowly through your mouth.
Again,
Inhale slowly.
And exhale,
Letting your shoulders drop.
Many of us carry the tension of work in our bodies without even realizing it.
Deadlines,
Emails,
Meetings,
Expectations.
The pressure to always be productive.
Right now,
Give yourself permission to step out of that pressure for a few minutes.
The world can wait.
Your nervous system deserves a pause.
Take another slow breath in.
And as you exhale,
Imagine the stress of the day beginning to soften.
Let your forehead relax.
Relax the muscles around your eyes.
Unclench your jaw.
And allow your shoulders to drop away from your ears.
Notice if your stomach is tight.
If it is,
Allow it to soften.
Your breath does not need to be forced.
So just allow it to flow naturally.
Now imagine that the stress you've been carrying is like a heavy backpack.
Perhaps you've been carrying it all day or even all week.
Deadlines,
Responsibilities,
Other people's expectations.
But for the next few minutes,
Imagine gently setting that backpack down beside you.
You don't have to throw it away.
You don't have to solve everything right now.
Just set it down.
Take a breath.
Feel how your body responds when it isn't carrying everything at once.
Notice the small sensations of the air.
Notice the sense of space that opens.
Now imagine a warm wave of calm beginning at the top of your head.
This wave slowly moves downward.
Relaxing your forehead.
Relaxing your jaw.
Softening your neck and shoulders.
This wave continues down your arms,
Into your hands.
It's relaxing your chest,
Your belly.
Your hips.
Your legs.
Your feet.
Your entire body is slowly releasing tension.
You are allowed to pause.
You are allowed to breathe.
Now bring your attention back to your breath.
Each inhale gently fills your lungs.
Each exhale releases a little more stress.
Imagine that with every exhale,
Your body lets go of a small layer of tension.
Breathing in calm.
Breathing out pressure.
Breathing in clarity.
Breathing out overwhelm.
Take a few slow breaths here.
Now imagine yourself returning to your work with a calmer mind.
You do not have to do everything perfectly.
You only need to take one step at a time.
Your mind becomes clearer.
Your body feels lighter.
Your energy begins to reset.
Repeat quietly within yourself.
I can handle one step at a time.
I allow myself moments of rest.
I return to my work with clarity and calm.
Take one final deep breath in and release slowly.
Gently bring your awareness back to your body.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Gently move your shoulders.
And when you are ready,
Softly open your eyes.
Carry this sense of calm with you as you move through the rest of your day.
Thank you so much for joining me today for this work stress release.
If you're looking for a little deeper practice,
I invite you to find my premium work stress version,
Deep Release for Work Stress and Mental Overload.
Namaste.