Practical Self-Help Tips: Take A Breather

Once our day swings into action it’s very easy to be overwhelmed by the routine, the urgent (as distinct from the important), the latest minor crisis or, most common of all, useless thought. And even though you may have started your day properly, it is all too easy to become submerged and revert to our default state of unfocused mindlessness.

So, for a start, what does starting your day properly mean? Well, we make certain that we don’t leave home physically unprepared for the day ahead. We wash and dress ourselves – shaving or applying the odd dab of make-up as appropriate! Conversely, most of us automatically set out each morning mentally unprepared for what lies in store. Starting the day properly means making sure that, before you leave the house, you have taken the appropriate step or steps to clear your mind and focus your energy. I recommend approximately ten minutes mental preparation for the day ahead. Find somewhere where you won’t be disturbed, sit and focus on your five senses – one sense at a time. This will enable you focus on what is really happening rather than on the subconscious programs that otherwise run your life – those programs being your default mental settings.

Right, let’s say that you’ve got your day off to the perfect start, you’re tuned in, focused, mentally wide awake and ready for action. Little things like a delayed train, like heavy traffic, like someone asking you to do something unexpectedly – so many little things can knock us off balance. And we haven’t even mentioned the big things! It is so easy to wander automatically into mental oblivion as the day progresses. What we’ve got to do is make sure that, during the day, we pause to catch our breath – literally.

Ancient wisdom places great store on the opportunity that our breathing affords us to clear our mind of useless noise and distraction and, consequently, focus our energy. So, here’s an easy, quick and entirely practical tip – because, after all, you have to breathe anyway! Take a couple of moments – moments is all that it takes – during the day to turn your attention to the reality of the moment as you inhale and exhale. Focus your attention on what it feels like to breathe, how your body reacts with each breath that you take, how the air passes through the left, right or both nostrils. Give thanks for the reality that you are alive and breathing. Pay attention to nothing else for these few moments. If the cares or useless thoughts of the moment start invading your mind, take three deeper breaths to refocus your attention. As you breathe, understand that whatever might be driving you crazy right now will be completely forgotten in months, weeks, days or even hours. Realize that, with an focused, alert and ready mind, all things are possible.

Practical Personal Growth Tips: Take A Breather

Almost as soon as our day gets going it’s very easy to be overwhelmed by the routine, the urgent (not necessarily the important), this morning’s crisis or, most prevalent of all, unproductive thinking. Even if you have started your day properly, it is all too easy to become submerged and revert to our default state of unfocused mindlessness.

So, first things first, what does starting your day properly mean? Well, we make certain that we don’t leave the house physically unprepared for the day ahead. We shower and dress ourselves – shaving or applying the odd dab of make-up as appropriate! On the other hand, we unwittingly leave the house every morning mentally unprepared for what lies in store. Starting the day properly means making sure that, before leaving home, you’ve taken the appropriate step or steps to clear the mind and focus your energy. I suggest five to ten minutes mental preparation for the day ahead. Find somewhere where you won’t be disturbed, sit and focus on your five senses – one sense at a time. This will enable you focus on what is really going on as distinct from the subconscious programs that otherwise run your life – the latter being your default state of mind.

Right, let’s say that you’ve got your day off to the perfect start, you’re switched on, fully focused, alert and primed for action. Little things like a delayed train, like heavy traffic, like somebody asking you to do something unexpectedly – so many little things can upset us. And we haven’t even mentioned the big things! It can be so easy to wander automatically into mental oblivion as the day unfolds. What we’ve got to do is ensure that, throughout the day, we pause to catch our breath – literally.

Ancient wisdom places great store on the opportunity that our breathing offers us to clear our mind of useless nonsense and distraction and, in doing so, focus our energy. So, here’s an easy, quick and very practical tip – because, after all, you’ve got to breathe anyway! Take a couple of moments – moments is all that’s required – during the day to pay attention to the reality of the moment as you inhale and exhale. Pay attention to what it feels like to breathe, how your body responds with each breath in and out, how the air passes through the left, right or both nostrils. Give thanks for the reality that you are alive and breathing. Attend to nothing else for these few moments. If the hassles or useless thoughts of the moment start crowding your mind, take three deeper breaths to refocus your attention. With each breath, realize that whatever might be driving you crazy right now will be completely forgotten in months, weeks, days or even hours. Realize that, with an alert, focused and ready mind, all things are possible.