The cycles of thought that repeat.
Our inner dialogue.
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Why
- Reduces Anxiety.
- Manages stress.
- Improves focus.
- Encourages better sleep.
- Nurtures faster recovery from exercise or exertion.
How
- Sit quietly in a comfortable position.
- Close your eyes.
- Placing your hands on your belly, inhale deeply and slowly to a count of 3.
- Feel your body expand as you inhale.
- Exhale slowly to a count of 3.
- Feel your hands move back into your body.
- Repeat at least 3 times.
This is just one way to connect with your breath.
Local Support
Take a class:
Blue Mountain Yoga+ & Wellness Collective
Bodhi Tree Yoga
Yoga Classes at Shore Aquatic Center
Learn more:
A Cool Tip for Deeper Breathing
Time for a Breath Break Poster
Why
- Turns off our body’s stress response.
- Helps us feel less stressed while accomplishing more.
- Improves mindfulness.
- Improves focus.
- Reduces errors and accidents.
How
- Stop multi-tasking, concentrating on one task until complete.
- Take intentional breaks from what you are doing: sit down, go for a walk, take a breath break.
- Fully immerse yourself in what you are doing, taking time to savor, listen, see what is around you. List these things.
Local Support
Coming Soon.
Why
- React less strongly to difficult situations.
- Recover faster when triggered.
- Respond clearly and positively during emergencies.
- Reduce effects of stress over time.
- Increase feeling of positive well-being.
How
- Take a breath break.
- Listen to music.
- Step out into nature, hug a tree!
- Put down your phone.
- Journal.
Local Support
Learn more:
Journey to Wellness in 60ish Seconds with Dr. Christine Rose
Why
- Maintain a positive mindset.
- Help reach goals.
- Experience more clarity.
- Be more present.
- Feel empowered.
How
- Let go of a past experience.
- Let go of a past decision.
- Make a decision, commit to not second-guessing.
- Make a decision to stop using your phone at a certain time each night.
- Choose kindness.
Local Support
Coming soon.
Why
- Learn to turn around a bad day.
- Enhance your optimism and enjoy greater health and happiness.
- Get in touch with complex feelings inside.
- Disengage from stressors and get distance before getting back to resolving it with a fresher attitude.
How
- Journal.
- Exercise.
- Dance like no one is watching.
- Read a book.
- Cook a meal.
Local Support
Learn more:
Attitude for Gratitude blog post
Why
- Stop a single thought from turning into an overwhelming thought pattern.
- Stop ourselves from slipping into a lower mood.
- Empower ourselves to know we are in control with our mind.
How
- Talk to yourself in the third-person, like you are talking to a good friend.
- Encourage a feeling of awe or inspiration by looking up at the stars, at the horizon, taking the focus from you to something bigger.
- Do some “time-traveling” and think about how you will see the issue that your are having in a month, a year down the line.
Local Support
Learn more:
Do You Have an Oh-Shit Handle blog post
Why
- Reduce stress and anxiety.
- Manage depression.
- Lower blood pressure.
- Strengthen the immune system.
- Improve memory.
- Regulate mood.
- Increase self-awareness.
How
- Take a comfortable seat, fold your hands gently in your lap or have them gently resting on your legs.
- Set a timer. Beginners start with 5 minutes!
- Close your eyes, or have a downward, soft gaze.
- Focus on the inhale and exhale with your minds eye. You can also count as you inhale and exhale.
- Whenever you notice your mind wander, just acknowledge the thought and gently bring your focus back to your breath. No judgment! Always with Kindness.*
- When the timer goes off, thank yourself for taking the time to practice.
*This is what meditation is! It’s incorrect to think you are only “successful” at meditation if you have a clear mind. This act of acknowledging the thoughts and coming back to the breath with kindness is you being successful at meditation!
Local Support
Why
- All the benefits of meditation, and
- Train yourself to be consciously aware as you move through your environment.
How
- Find a location that allows you to walk 10-15 steps unobstructed. Can be indoors our in nature.
- Walk slowly (slower than you think!) and intentionally 10-15 steps on your chosen path.
- Focus on the component of each step:
- the lifting of one foot;
- the moving of the foot a bit forward of where you’re standing;
- the placing of the foot on the floor, heel first;
- the shifting of the weight of the body onto the forward leg as the back heel lifts, while the toes of that foot remain touching the floor or the ground.
- Be aware of your breath as you walk, slowing it to match your steps.
- Pause when you get to the end of your chosen path. Breathe as long as you like.
- Turn and walk back along the path focusing on each step as above.
- Whenever your thoughts wander, acknowledge them with kindness and without judgment and come back to your breath.
Local Support
Coming soon.
Why
- Release positive energy.
- Improve mood and well-being.
- Relax mind and body.
- Improve memory and attention.
- Increase concentration.
How
- Find a mantra that works for you. Search online (mantras for calming the mind, etc.), in books, or ask friends.
- Write the mantra on paper.
- Post the paper on a mirror, bulletin board, refrigerator, computer. Somewhere you will see it everyday.
- Make time to chant/repeat it every day at the same time or when you feel anxious.
Local Support
Coming soon.
Why
- Relieve stress.
- Treat heart disease.
- Lower blood pressure.
- Reduce chronic pain.
- Improve sleep.
- Alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties.
How
- Practice meditation.
- Notice sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. Name them “sight,” “sound,” “smell,” “taste,” or “touch” without judgment and let them go.
- Practice acceptance – gently redirect the mind.
- Name emotions as you are having them. Joy, Anger, Frustration, etc. Acknowledge them and let them go.
Local Support
Learn more:
Why
- Help you prioritize problems, fears, concerns.
- Track symptoms day-to-day, identifying triggers and learn ways to deal with them.
- Removes mental blocks.
- Reduce anxiety.
- Activate creativity.
How
- Set an alarm to journal at for a certain time period every day.
- Set an intention to journal for 3 pages every morning.
- Purchase a journal with prompts to follow.
- Join a group and come together to journal once a week.
Local Support
Read Clallam County Community Journals for inspiration
Why
- Improve mood and well-being.
- Improve productivity.
- Reduce or prevent stress.
- Improve concentration.
- Prevent burnout.
- Enhance performance.
How
- Break for herbal tea, stepping away from your desk or activity.
- Make a date to meet up for a walk with a friend.
- Take a breath break.
- Stretch for a few minutes.
- Put down all screens/phones and go into nature or look at an outdoor panorama.
Local Support
Coming soon.
Why
- Reinforces connections between brain cells
- Improves mental speed
- Improves short-term memory
- Enhances concentration.
- Increases alertness.
How
- Do a Jigsaw Puzzle!! Do a bunch!
- Make it Non-Dominant hand day.
(do everything with your other hand for an entire day and make new brain connections). - Do a Where’s Waldo type of visual searching game.
- Do a crossword puzzle or word search game.
- Play Memory or another memory game.
- Count Backwards.
Count backwards from 200 in increments of 5’s.
Count backwards from 200 in increments of 7’s, etc.
Local Support
Coming soon.
Why
- Encourage each other.
- Accountability.
- SUPPORT! SUPPORT! SUPPORT!
How
- Talk to a coworker and decide on a time to take breath breaks together.
- Set up a virtual meeting with a friend or family member across the world to take breath breaks together.
- Set an alarm and make it happen!
Local Support
Want to have your workplace get involved?
Contact us for help.
Why
SUPPORT! TEAM WORK! TOGETHERNESS!
How
Team up with someone and work on accumulating the passport stickers together.
Local Support
Want to find a BE WELL team?
Contact us for help.