One minute at a time.
Several fitness instructors have told me, "you can do anything for 10 more seconds," as motivation to hold the plank or climb the stairs just a bit longer than I thought possible. Those seconds, while difficult, were doable. I knew it was time limited, and relief was just around the corner. Similarly, I think you can manage doing something differently for 1 minute at a time. Even if the minute is uncomfortable... or painful... or there are ten other ways you think it should be spent. For it's when one minute begets another, and then another that real change can occur.
What does it look like? Take a minute and try one of these sample exercises.
Mindful Minute: 54321
Use for: Decreasing stress, aiding in relaxation, refocusing attention.
Strategy: Sit quietly and notice (list in your head):
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5 things you can see (e.g. your hands, a tree out the window, the keyboard.)
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4 things you can physically feel (e.g. your feet on the ground, a watch on your wrist)
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3 things you can hear: (e.g. your breath, a car outside, voices outside your door.)
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2 things you can smell: (e.g. coffee, a cleaning product, flowers)
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1 thing you can taste: (e.g. a mint, gum, your lunch)
Outcome:
This exercise helps to focus our attention on the here and now, resulting in a decrease of anxiety (and often a corresponding decrease in blood pressure.)
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By focusing on the present, you can interrupt any unhealthy thought patterns you may be experiencing and then deliberately refocus in a healthy direction.
Conflicting Evidence
Use for: Thoughts that cause anxiety, hold you back from doing something you want to do, or make you feel crummy.
Strategy: Ask yourself, "what evidence conflicts this belief?" Aim to be your own prosecutor, and be a good one.
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Examples:
Thought: I'm going to mess up
Conflicting Evidence: I've done this before and it went fine. I know how to do this. When I have messed up, I learned from my mistakes and got better.
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Thought: No one likes me
Conflicting Evidence: Joe asked if I wanted to grab lunch yesterday, he wouldn't have done that if he didn't want to spend time with me. Addie and Chris would probably be insulted if they knew I was thinking this.
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Outcome:
Thoughts are powerful, and not always accurate. When unhealthy thoughts are interfering with your quality of life, invest the energy to really examine them. By playing the "prosecutor" you can often find plenty of evidence that conflicts the perpetrating thought. You can then replace it with something more accurate and helpful.
Gratitude Sprints
Use for: Improving your mood,
Strategy: Set a timer for 1 minute and list out everything you're grateful for: right then, that day, that week, or any prompt you want.
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Examples:
Thought: Today was awful, I missed my deadline and my son would not listen to a word I said.
Gratitude Sprint: I'm grateful for my health, that my knee is improving after my injury, my brother who made me laugh last night, my best work friend, that delicious Pad Thai I had at lunch, that I have the opportunity to teach my son how to be more respectful, these cozy pajamas.
Outcome:
When research participants practiced gratitude, the reward centers of their brains were activated. Reflecting on what we're grateful for actually feels pleasurable. Further, it helps us put some of our challenges and bad experiences in perspective.
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Practicing gratitude involves observing and reflecting on what we're grateful for, the small, large, and everything in between.