Hi,
And thanks for joining us for the Mind Management De-Stress at Work Meditation.
You might be doing this meditation at work,
Or you may have stepped away from the office,
Or maybe you're at home.
Wherever you are,
Find a place where you can sit comfortably,
Ideally undisturbed,
And take the next few minutes for yourself.
Stress at work is unfortunately quite common,
And can seem overwhelming at times.
With this meditation,
You'll learn how to manage your response to stress,
So that even if you can't eliminate the stress,
You can cope with it.
Close your eyes and see if you can make yourself a bit more comfortable.
Take three deep breaths,
In through your nose,
And out through your nose or mouth.
As you exhale,
Let your breath go completely.
Feel free to let out an audible sigh.
Now keep your focus on your breathing.
Breathing in through your nose,
And out through your mouth or nose,
Whatever feels most comfortable.
Continue to notice your breathing,
And see if you can make your inhalation and exhalation a little bit slower.
Stress often causes us to have short or shallow breaths.
See if you can breathe a little more deeply.
Stress can also increase your heart rate,
But by taking slow,
Deep breaths,
You can calm your heart rate.
So see if you can breathe a little more deeply,
A little more slowly.
Continue your focus on breathing.
Slow,
Deep breaths.
We're hardwired to think and problem solve,
But overthinking or feeling overcome by stress can impair our creativity and productivity.
This can lead to frustration,
Anxiety,
And more stress.
With a calmer mind,
Only then can solutions emerge.
It may seem trivial,
But focusing on your breath has been scientifically proven to help us manage stress and anxiety.
So let's continue to focus on your breathing,
Deep,
Slow breaths.
Stress at work is often caused by a feeling of being overwhelmed,
But if we can sit back and look at our tasks in smaller,
More manageable chunks,
We can focus on the tasks without feeling anxious.
Let's apply this technique to any project or situation you currently find stressful.
Can you break down the task or situation into smaller,
More achievable parts?
Can you approach the items one step at a time,
Instead of trying to look at the whole thing at once?
Many things in life are easier if approached one step,
One day,
Or one moment at a time in small,
Measurable ways.
Let's take five more breaths and let go of any focus.
Let's breathe.
Now bring yourself back into the room.
You can stretch a bit,
Make circles with your wrists and ankles,
And open your eyes.
Thanks for meditating with us today.
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
