Try these tips to center yourself! (Courtesy of The Stanford Medical Team: Employee and Workplace Wellness):
- Mindful eating: This is a quick and efficient exercise that not only increases your practice with mindfulness, but teaches you how to fully savor your meals. In mindful eating, you are encouraged to eat slowly and pay close attention to the flavors, appearance, textures, and smells of each bite, as well as your own feelings while eating (Bjarnadottir, 2019).
- Progressive muscle relaxation: While inhaling deeply, intentionally tense up a specific part of your body, such as your jaw, for 15 seconds. After this, exhale while relaxing that part of your body. Focus on the difference in feeling of tension and relaxation in those muscles, then repeat the exercise with 6–8 body parts. By focusing on one body part at a time, your mind stays centered on the present moment and grounded in your current experience (Cuncic, 2020). You can follow a guided progressive muscle relaxation exercise online.
- Body scans: After taking a few deep breaths, focus your attention on your feet and become aware of any sensations you may have in them, such as tension, tingling, temperature, itching, or pain. Acknowledge any sensations and feelings without judging them. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to that body part. Slowly move your attention to another body part and again acknowledge any sensations or feelings without judgment. Continue this practice until you have scanned your entire body (Scott, 2020). You may wish to try a guided body scan.
- Spending time in nature: On average, Americans spend 93% of their time indoors (Li, 2018). However, time spent in natural environments, such as forests or beaches, often helps individuals to connect both with the present and with their senses. Additionally, it has multiple health benefits, including stress reduction, faster recovery times, and improved mood (Li, 2018). Even when inside, looking at images of natural spaces, having houseplants, listening to nature sounds, opening a window, and natural light can all positively affect well-being (Gengoux et al., 2020:197).
