(Published 2024 July)
When life is hectic, you’re juggling multiple responsibilities, and your mind is racing with a million thoughts, pausing for a few seconds seems like an impossibility, let alone stopping for an entire minute. But what if taking a 60-second break could serve as a reset button to help you feel more in control?
Here are 5 ways you can benefit from being still for a just a minute:
- Hitting the pause button can slow your spinning brain from warp speed. Making a conscious effort to switch your attention from everything that’s whirring around your head to one thing in the present moment—such as your breathing or sounds you hear—allows you to both slow down and calm down.
- It’s easier to spot self-talk (the words your inner voice uses to jabber away). Are you telling yourself something harsh, hurtful, or critical? Acknowledging unkind, demeaning self-talk can help you change your language to be more compassionate.
- It allows you to ground yourself in the present. You can’t focus on the here and now if you’re caught up in a jumble of thoughts and activities. Stopping to pay attention to what’s happening this minute can help you re-engage with reality.
- You can check your physical self. How’s your posture? Are your shoulders tense? Are you frowning? Are you clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth? A pause gives you the opportunity to move, rest, or stretch.
- You can see joy. There are opportunities to notice small pockets of delight all around you every day, whether it’s the sun on your face, a bouquet of flowers, the wind in the trees, or a cup of tea. Taking a one-minute break helps you notice life’s little pleasures and can boost your happiness.
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