{"id":5216,"date":"2021-06-28T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-28T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/witanddelight.com\/?p=90794"},"modified":"2021-06-28T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-06-28T15:00:00","slug":"the-5-minute-practice-that-helps-me-reset-throughout-the-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozapp.com.au\/?p=5216","title":{"rendered":"The 5-Minute Practice That Helps Me Reset Throughout the Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I\u2019ve gotten older, I have learned the virtues of pausing before reacting, especially when I\u2019m stressed or upset. (Oh, how I wish it was easier to remember this in the moment!) I\u2019ve realized that the secret behind \u201cthe pause\u201d\u2014which is beneficial in both parenting and navigating any other relationships\u2014is figuring out how to get comfortable with not reacting. And that means getting comfortable with being still, even if all of our instincts might say otherwise.<\/p>\n

Stillness<\/a> is not something you do perfectly. It\u2019s not necessarily a meditative state. Framing it in that way can be another way of judging yourself. Rather, stillness is about pausing and noticing. It\u2019s a muscle that, when exercised, will become stronger over time. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s a Rachel Cargle quote<\/a> I read recently that really hit home for me:<\/p>\n

Life can just be lived.<\/em><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to:<\/em><\/p>\n

prove anyone wrong\u2026<\/em>
make anyone proud\u2026<\/em>
change the world\u2026<\/em>
leave a lasting legacy\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

You can simply show up, find the joy, be good to you and be good to others, learn from the pain, hold yourself accountable, relish in the wonder of it and ride this thing out.<\/em><\/p>\n

We all will most likely always be working to find stillness, because so much of what it embodies goes against what we\u2019re taught about what it means to be an \u201cadult,\u201d especially in American culture. We\u2019ve been taught to keep going<\/em>, at any cost; that productivity is the most esteemed way we can denote our value. It\u2019s a mindset I\u2019m continually trying to unravel. I\u2019m continually trying to remember what Rachel expressed\u2014that I can simply live a life, no expectations necessary.<\/p>\n

\n

Stillness is about pausing and noticing. It\u2019s a muscle that, when exercised, will become stronger over time. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The practice I\u2019m sharing with you today is a part of that for me. It\u2019s about allowing myself to pause, even when everything in me is telling me to keep going, no breaks required<\/em>. I hope you find it as helpful as I have.<\/p>\n

The Practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Taking breaks is something we all need to function. Over time, I\u2019ve realized I only need about five minutes to step away and do a check-in with myself in order to reset. Whenever I begin to feel a sense of overwhelm, I\u2019ll pause, remove myself from the current project or task, and intentionally take five minutes to myself.<\/p>\n

The goal is to do this when you first start feeling a little uneasy. In my experience, if you let those feelings of unease or stress go too far without addressing them, it can take longer to come down from them.<\/p>\n

Why I Started Doing It<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before this practice, I\u2019d often feel myself checking out during the day, getting fidgety or tired, and feeling that sense of uneasiness. Previously, what I would do in response to overwhelm was bring up a new project or try to bite off even more, before I ultimately would reach my breaking point and shut down.<\/p>\n

Taking these five-minute breaks has helped me learn to notice and respond when I\u2019m entering a state of sensory overwhelm. It\u2019s allowing me to gain trust in myself and my ability to listen to, respond to, and meet my needs. The more you practice this response cycle, the more your system has an opportunity to heal. Things may still be triggering but you won\u2019t get caught as often in that pattern of overwhelm. <\/p>\n

For me, this practice began when my therapist introduced me to polyvagal theory<\/a>, and the effect the vagus nerve<\/a> has on regulating your parasympathetic nervous system. The sensation of unease and overwhelm is called being in a mobilized state, and the goal of a healthy parasympathetic nervous system is to go back and forth from a mobilized state to a relaxed state without getting caught in the burnout phase that comes when you\u2019ve been mobilized for too long. This practice has helped me regulate my emotions more effectively so I\u2019m now rarely stuck in the mobilized state.<\/p>\n

\"The