Simple, Effective Mindfulness Techniques to Use Every Day

• By: Posted by HR Alliance Staff
• On: 10/28/2024 08:17:49
• In: Wellness
• Comments: 0

Cari Bohley, Vice President of Talent Management, Peraton and co-chair of the HR Alliance Communications Committee, shares some tools that you can explore daily. If we practice them, we are more likely to use them when needed because they are more familiar.
 
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (can do as you are waiting for a meeting to come together)
Once you find your breath, go through the following steps to help ground yourself: You can shorten to the first three with 3, 2,1 if needed.

• 5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you...
• 4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you...
• 3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear...
• 2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell...
• 1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste.

Finger Tracing (can easily be done during a meeting)
Use your index finger to trace your opposite hand. Trace your first finger, inhaling as you trace up the finger and exhaling as you trace down. Continue to breathe slowly as you trace all five fingers. Repeat until call and relaxed.
See video here.

Alternate Nostril Breathing
Place your thumb on your right nostril. With this nostril covered, close your eyes and exhale fully and slowly through your left nostril. Once you've exhaled completely, release your right nostril, put your ring finger on the left nostril, and breathe in. Breathe out deeply and in slowly from the right side. Repeat for 5-10 cycles or until you feel focused and grounded.
 
Mindfulness Breathing
Sit comfortably. Focus on your breath. Every time you breathe in, say “in,” and every time you exhale, say “out” to yourself. Then “deep/slow,” “calm/ease,” “smile, release.” Repeat this for as long as you are practicing for that day. Start with 1-2 minutes and then build up to 5-10 minutes at a time to train your brain.
 
4-7-8 or Relaxing Breathing
This is my favorite breathing exercise, and I use it almost daily if anything is frustrating or if I'm excited about something and need to chill out to focus. It has a lovely tranquilizing effect that can quickly turn your mood around. You can do it anywhere without anyone noticing. Here's how to do it:

• Set the tip of your tongue against the back of your top front teeth. You'll keep your tongue there throughout the exercise – the breath you inhale and exhale will sort of wrap about your tongue.
• Exhale through your mouth so that you make a “whoosh” sound. The sound part is important—if I am listening, I might think, “Why don't I hear you? I should hear you exhale.”
• Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
• Hold your breath for the count of 7.
• Exhale through your mouth, making that “whoosh” for the count of 8.
• Repeat the cycle three times.

 
2x Breath
The time you spend on each breath doesn't matter as much as the ratio – exhalation should take 2x as long as inhalation. I like to count slowly, and I do a total of 10 cycles, which almost always does the trick.
 
PALMS
Palms down push away from your body, giving all your stress and worry away.
Palms up and accept all of the blessings coming.

Here are some tools that you can explore using on a daily basis. If you practice them, you will be more apt to use them, when needed, because they are more familiar.

-Authored by: Cari Bohley, Vice President of Talent Management at Peraton and co-chair of the HR Alliance Communications Committee.