Wherever you are right now,
At your desk,
On the couch,
Maybe still sitting in the same chair you've been in all day,
Take this as an invitation to pause.
Working remotely can make it hard to feel where work ends and personal life begins.
The day blends together and our bodies and minds forget how to switch off.
So for these next few minutes,
There's nowhere you need to go,
Nothing you need to do,
And no one you need to be.
Just arrive.
So sitting,
Or lying down,
Or perhaps even standing comfortably,
Let your hands rest naturally,
And if it feels safe,
Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
And begin with a slow inhale through the nose,
And exhaling out the mouth through pursed lips.
Let the breath be a signal.
I'm here.
I'm allowed to rest for a moment.
And perhaps now you can begin to notice where your body meets the ground,
The chair,
Or the floor.
Feel the steady support beneath you.
Now take another slow breath,
Feeling your chest rise,
Your ribs expand,
And feel your shoulders soften on the exhale.
Bring gentle awareness to your neck,
Your jaw,
Your face,
All the tiny muscles that hold tension from the long hours of focus and screens.
Soften them.
Let the forehead smooth.
Let the eyes rest back in their sockets.
And with each exhale,
Imagine the body unclenching.
Letting go.
Letting go of email.
Letting go of messages.
Letting go of notification.
Any reminders to what's next?
Project,
Meeting,
Conversation.
Perhaps you can simply say to yourself,
This moment is for me,
Not now.
This moment is for me.
Now perhaps you can shift your awareness to the space behind your thoughts,
The quiet that's always there,
Even underneath the noise.
You might imagine your thoughts as small bubbles rising to the surface.
Email,
Worry,
To-do list,
Each one popping as it meets the calm surface of relaxed attention.
There's no need to stop thinking.
Just widen the space around each thought.
Notice how this space feels,
Open,
Steady,
Unbothered by the movement of the mind.
Thoughts can come and go,
But awareness remains.
Still,
Spacious,
And kind.
You might sense that this quiet is not something you create,
But something you can return to.
And each breath draws you deeper and deeper into that stillness.
Softening the edges of tension and urgency.
In this space,
There's nothing to fix,
Nothing to achieve.
Only a gentle remembering of the calm,
The calm that has always been here.
Perhaps you notice how,
Even in stillness,
The mind keeps working.
And that's okay.
The goal isn't to silence your thoughts,
But to remember.
Remember that you're more than your messages and tasks.
You're a living,
Breathing human being.
You're not just a mind tethered to a screen.
Now,
Perhaps you can bring to mind your team,
The people you work with,
Even if you've never met them in person.
Picture each one in their own space.
Maybe another country,
Another time zone.
Each doing their best,
Just like you,
To stay balanced in a busy world.
Imagine the light of their screens,
The rhythm of their typing,
The small pauses they take to stretch or breathe.
See them juggling responsibilities,
Caring for families,
Managing deadlines,
All while trying to show up with presence and care.
Recognize that behind every message and meeting is a human being with hope,
With worry,
And with quiet strength.
Feel a sense of shared humanity,
A common thread that connects you all beyond role and beyond job title.
Let that awareness soften any tension,
Opening the heart to empathy,
Humility,
Patience,
And genuine connection.
And perhaps now we would like to send our co-workers well wishes.
You can say these out loud,
Or you can say them in your mind.
But perhaps you'd like to send them well wishes.
And with your next breath,
Send them a wish.
May you have focus.
May you have calm.
May you have connection.
May you have focus.
May you have calm.
May you have connection.
May you have focus.
May you have calm.
May you have connection.
And then send that same wish inward.
May I have focus.
May I have calm.
May I have connection.
May I have focus.
May I have calm.
May I have connection.
May I have focus.
May I have calm.
May I have connection.
Perhaps now you can let go of the well wishes and begin to gently come back into the space.
Take one last deep breath in,
All the way down into the belly,
And a slow breath out the mouth through pursed lips.
Notice how the body feels now.
Perhaps a little lighter,
Perhaps a little more grounded.
And if your eyes are closed,
Begin to open them slowly,
Fluttering them open,
Letting the light return.
And as you step back into your day,
Whether it's a meeting,
Family time,
Or rest,
Carry this awareness with you.
You can work anywhere,
But you live here.
In this body.
In this moment.
Coming home to yourself,
It isn't about unplugging completely.
It's about remembering that you're more than your work.
You're whole.
You're here.
And you can begin again right now.
Let this moment mark a soft reset,
A quiet reminder of your capacity to pause.
Even in the middle of chaos,
Your breath can bring you back to center.
Notice how clarity returns when you slow down enough to feel.
The to-do list will still be there,
But you can meet it from a steadier place.
Let the calm you've cultivated ripple outward to your next conversation as you move through your day with presence,
Not perfection,
As your guide.
Remember,
The focus is a muscle strengthened by its own power.
Gentle returning,
Not force.
Let gratitude rise for the simple act of awareness,
This mindful check-in with yourself.
And as you go on,
Trust that this calm space within you is always available.
A home you can return to.
One breath at a time.
