Manage Stress with "Mindfulness Made Easy" (Week 2 Exercises)

If there has ever been a time that we could use some help building stress resiliency, it might be right now.

Here are some simple and easy exercises that you can use to help manage your stress and anxiety.

You can access the do-it-yourself exercises from Week 1 here and below you'll find the Week 2 Exercises.

What's the best way to use these exercises? Try one a day from Monday to Friday and then feel free to pick your favourite one and repeat it on Saturday and Sunday.

If you would like to receive the Week 3 exercises and get a heads up for our our next live online challenge, just say "I'm In" below or send me a note.

Also, if you'd like to treat your team to a 20-minute mindfulness recharge for the holidays, let me know and I can provide you the details. Here are your Week 2 Exercises...

Week 2, Day 1 – Focused Attention on Sounds

1. Warm up with three 4-7-8 breaths (inhale through the nose for a 4-count, hold the breath for up to a 7-count, slowly exhale through the mouth for an 8-count).

2. Give yourself permission to make this “your time” and spend the next minute with your eyes closed listening to sounds in your surroundings.

3. Each time you notice that you have drifted away from focusing your attention on sounds, gently let go of whatever it is you're thinking about and refocus on listening to the sounds in your surroundings.

4. Be gentle with yourself. It is normal to have many thoughts interrupting your sounds over and over, so gently refocus as many times as necessary.

Week 2, Day 2 – Sounds and Noting Thinking

1. Warm up with three 4-7-8 breaths (inhale through the nose for a 4-count, hold the breath for up to a 7-count, slowly exhale through the mouth for an 8-count).

2. Give yourself permission to make this “your time” and spend the next minute with your eyes closed listening to sounds in your surroundings.

3. Each time you notice you have drifted away from focusing your attention on sounds, gently let go of whatever it is you're thinking about and refocus on listening to the sounds in your surroundings.

BONUS: Today’s refocusing add-on tool is noting when you are thinking, which means you will say “THINKING” quietly to yourself each time you catch yourself distracted and then gently let that though go to refocus on sounds.

4. Be gentle with yourself. It is normal to have many thoughts interrupting your sounds over and over, so gently refocus as many times as necessary.

Week 2, Day 3 - Sounds and Helium Balloon for Thinking

1. Warm up with three 4-7-8 breaths (inhale through the nose for a 4-count, hold the breath for up to a 7-count, slowly exhale through the mouth for an 8-count).

2. Give yourself permission to make this “your time” and spend the next minute with your eyes closed listening to sounds in your surroundings.

BONUS: If you feel that you can do it, extend your time today from 1-minute to 2 or 3 minutes.

3. Each time you notice you drift away from focusing your attention on sounds, gently let go of whatever it is you're thinking about and refocus on listening to the sounds in your surroundings.

BONUS: Today we will use the HELIUM BALLOON refocusing technique. Each time you catch yourself distracted from sounds, visualize a helium balloon attached to the distracting thought and watch it float away and then gently refocus on sounds.

Week 2, Day 4 - Sounds and Polaroid Pictures of Thoughts

1. Warm up with three 4-7-8 breaths (inhale through the nose for a 4-count, hold the breath for up to a 7-count, slowly exhale through the mouth for an 8-count).

2. Spend the next minute with your eyes closed listening to sounds in your surroundings.

BONUS: If you feel that you can do it, extend your time today from 1-minute to 3 or 4 minutes.

3. Each time you notice your attention drifting from sounds, take a moment to “capture” the thought by visualizing yourself taking a quick picture of it using a Polaroid camera (Google it if you were born after 2000).

4. Have a quick look at what it is that has distracted you on your picture and then visualize yourself tossing the picture away gently so you can refocus on sounds. Rinse and repeat as many times as you get distracted.

Week 2, Day 5 - Sounds, Smiling, I'm getting better at this

1. Warm up with three 4-7-8 breaths (inhale through the nose for a 4-count, hold the breath for up to a 7-count, slowly exhale through the mouth for an 8-count).

2. Spend the next minute with your eyes closed listening to sounds in your surroundings.

BONUS: If you feel that you can do it, extend your time today from 1 minute to 4 or 5 minutes.

3. Today when you find yourself distracted by a thought or something unrelated to sounds, pause and smile and silently say to yourself, “I’m getting better at this”.

IMPORTANT: It is normal to have many thoughts interrupting your sounds over and over, so gently refocus as many times as necessary, realizing that each time you notice yourself distracted you are actually IMPROVING at mindfulness.

Sign Up for Week 3 Exercises Here

Again, a reminder, if you would like to receive the Week 3 exercises and receive a heads up when we run our next online challenge, please say "I'm In" below or send me a note.

If you have any questions about the exercises or are interested in treating your team to a 20-minute mindfulness recharge for the holidays, send me a note. Be well!