Stress has been a focus of all the chats this week ...

Stress is a key component when it comes to good brain health, Ellie Schilling chats through way and the various forms we can use on a practical everyday basis.

Mindfulness tips by Ellen Shilling

Mindfulness is the practice of coming to the present moment with full acceptance and non- judgement.

Tip #1: Start your day the mindful way. Set your alarm a few minutes early. When you get up out of bed mindfully place your feet on the floor and take a breath, decide that today will be a good day. Slowly have your shower, eat, and get ready for work taking care and paying attention to each task as you go about it.

Tip #2: When in front of a red traffic light: look at it, smile and take it as an opportunity to breath, pause and take in your environment.

Tip #3 

“

At some point during the day; 

taste the coffee. Notice it and that’s alread

y disciplining your 

mind. Your mind wanders? It’s supposed to. Just bring it back to tasting the coffee, over and over again, and that’s like doing a sit

-

up.” 

Ruby Wax

Tip #4: Pause, Notice, Breathe. (PNB). At moments throughout your day, take a moment to: 

Pause: 

stop what you’re doing, put everything down

Notice: 

Your surroundings. What do you see, feel, hear, taste, and smell?

Breathe: 

Notice your breathing; is it shallow, panicked, slow, long or something else? Soften it slightly and slow it down. Spend a minute or two on your breath (or longer if you have the time)

Tip #5: On your way to work look around you. Turn off all distractions and notice your journey. What do you see & hear on your way? What do you notice that you never noticed before?

Tip #6: Mix up your morning routine. Take a different route to work. We tend to go into autopilot 

when we do things the way we’ve always done them, so change things around and see how it feels.

Tip #6: If you find yourself getting overwhelmed today or need a little breathing space, use the STOP approach:

1. 

Stop 

what you’re doing. Put things down for a minute Take stock. Ask yourself what 

you are experiencing right now. What are your:

a. Thoughts, feelings emotions. Let the answers be as they are, resist the urge to judge.

2. 

Take 

a few long slow deep breaths. Let your breath anchor you to the present moment.

1. Open and Observe. Expand the field of your awareness around and beyond your breathing, so that it includes a sense of the body as a whole, your posture, and facial expression, then further outward to what is happening around you: sights, sounds, smells, etc. As best you can, bring this expanded awareness to the next moments...

3. Proceed / new possibilities. Let your attention now move into the world around you, sensing how things are right now. Rather than react habitually/mechanically, you can be curious/open, responding naturally. You may even be surprised by what happens next after having created this pause.... Continue without expectation.

Tip #7: Get out for a walk at lunchtime today. Leave the phone behind you and walk as if you’ve never seen your surroundings before. Walk barefoot on the grass if you can and feel your feet sinking into the ground. Feel the sun on your face and even smell a flower or two.

Tip # 8: Mindful eating. For one meal today eat slowly, taste the food, tune into the textures and taste of your food giving thanks to all the people who were involved in getting it from source to your plate. “The more you eat, the less flavour; the less you eat, the more flavour” Chinese proverb

Tip #9: in moments of overwhelm, stop everything, take a few deep breaths and use the mantra “I am here. This is now”

Ellen Shilling Ellen@Xhale.ie www.Xhale.ie Blackrock Co Dublin.