20240110 - Follow The Breath

Stress can be both a positive and a negative factor when it comes to our productivity and enjoyment of work. It can help us with motivation and focus, but it can also overwhelm and poor decision making. Mindfulness can help us find the balance! The stress spiral. The mind affects the body and the body affects the mind. When we think stressful thoughts the body will respond by tensing up. When the body is tensing up it sends a stress signal to our mind which leads to more stressful thoughts and now we are in a loop. To get out this loop we need to break it and we can do that in the mind, the body or both. Often it is best to start with the body Mindfulness techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or body scans have been shown to activate the body's relaxation response, reducing the production of stress hormones like cortisol and lowering blood pressure. When we have slowed down a bit we can start dealing with the mind By observing our thoughts and emotions without judgement or immediate reaction we increase our capacity to respond calmly and thoughtfully to stressors instead of reacting on impuls. It is often experienced as if we are stepping out from being in the middle of the storm to a place where there is more space and we can observe the situation more clearly.