So you've just come out of a meeting that you're quite sure could have been an email.
Allow a deep breath here and just know that however it is you're feeling right now is valid.
You might be feeling frustrated,
Overwhelmed,
Stressed,
Or maybe even angry.
However it is you're feeling right now and whatever you're experiencing is valid and okay.
Let's just get that part out of the way.
When we try and push those types of feelings and sentiments and thoughts away,
Just know that you're allowed to feel as you do.
We'll start here by turning our attention to our breath,
Noticing each inhale and each exhale and inviting some deeper breaths too in through the nose all the way down into the belly and out through the mouth,
Maybe letting out a big sigh that feels right for you.
Releasing your shoulders,
Releasing the jaw,
Maybe relaxing the forehead.
Perhaps you notice your fists are clenched.
Just release those too.
Oftentimes when we are feeling quite charged,
We carry that tension in our body.
This can be one of the quickest ways to allow all of that to just drift away,
To create a bit of space to help us let go and move on efficiently and effectively with the rest of our day.
I'll invite you now to raise your hands to your head,
Touching your scalp and just starting to notice the sensation or feeling that you're feeling here.
Perhaps you notice your scalp feels warm,
Maybe it's soft,
Maybe it's a bit itchy.
Whatever it is,
Just notice it and stay here for a few seconds with your hands,
Allowing your fingers to explore your scalp a little bit.
This little practice allows us to get out of our head and out of our mind and just shift to something else to help us feel more grounded and focused and start to let go of that meeting,
Creating a bit of space from that event.
Also when we do a practice like this,
It allows our prefrontal cortex to come back online when we're in a situation,
At an event where we're feeling quite charged and fired up.
Our prefrontal cortex goes right off line and this is the part of the brain that's crucial for decision making,
Thinking rationally and making logical decisions.
So it's really helpful to have this part of our brain re-engaged and back online.
You can now drop your hands from your head and turn your attention back to your breath for a few more seconds here,
Noticing maybe that the breath is a little slower perhaps,
Maybe not.
Just noticing how you're feeling in your body or your shoulders,
Have they risen back up,
Can you release them again?
Perhaps feeling a little bit more calm.
If it feels right,
Inviting in the perspective that this person who planned the meeting most likely did so because they thought it would be productive and effective and an efficient use of time.
You don't have to agree because perhaps you still think that the meeting could have been an email and that's okay,
But it's just about inviting in that perspective and allowing it to rest there.
This can help us to create a bit more space from the situation and just see it through another lens.
It's not about agreeing,
But just considering an alternative.
As we wrap up this practice,
Hopefully you're feeling more focused,
Calm,
A little bit more recentered and refreshed,
And ready to take on and tackle the rest of the day with our prefrontal cortex back online,
With us feeling a bit more confident and at ease and ready to navigate the rest of our workday.
