I stumbled across this video during a search on YouTube at the start of the month, but logged it away in the bookmarked sites under "Favorites" for a later time. I re-discovered this snippet last evening before going to bed, and figured I would give it a shot throughout the notorious day of the week that is Monday.
The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Workbook by Stahl and Goldstein is an adaptation of Jon Kabat-Zinn's principles for MBSR available for the general public to engage with. Since it's publication last year, the book has received excellent reviews for its access to life-altering (beneficial) exercises for what seems to follow most people: Stress.
The exercise in this video is quite simple, and is outlined by the acronym STOP.
Stop - Cease what it is that you currently doing.
Take a Breath - Focus on the breath. Monitor
Observe - What is going on in the body? What are you feeling? Come to an understanding/acceptance of where one is at the present moment.
Proceed - Move forward and engage with what it is that is most important for you at that moment.
As a refresher, I quickly watched the video again this morning before leaving for work at 6:45 in order to equip myself for the day. Fifteen minutes later, it was put to the test as I listened to the 12 voicemails that blew-up my mailbox since the 21st. It was during my commute, so I had to keep my eyes open in order to ensure my own safety and the well-being of everyone else around me. I stopped, took a breath, and observed my body. Even before crossing the DC city limits, I could sense the tension already building in my neck and shoulders as I squeezed the steering wheel from the rising stress inside of me. My feelings began to shift negatively toward myself.
"It wouldn't be this way if you hadn't taken Thursday off. What were you thinking?"
I quickly put those thoughts to rest, and informed myself that I couldn't do anything about it at this point, and that the opportunity to deal with the content of the messages would come once I was in the confines of the office. I retired the thoughts, and I proceeded onward in my commute.
There are too many other accounts within the day for me to list where I instituted the use of STOP. Way too many. It was in no way an easy day, and I came home exhausted. I can, however, attest to the fact that I did find this exercise to be beneficial in slowing down my day and allowing me to process experiences in a way that was more informed and clear. The observing step was probably the most vital because it's typically the one that most of us (including myself) skip the most in our decision making and experience processing routines. Emotional/Feeling awareness is one thing, but our physical body also holds a great deal of those emotions/feelings that are often missed.
Just the brief exposure to the MBST Workbook may prompt me to invest in the entire workbook. I believe it will not only be a useful tool for my personal use, but also for potential use with clients. I'll just make sure that I STOP before hitting the purchase button. My wife will probably encourage that.
The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Workbook by Stahl and Goldstein is an adaptation of Jon Kabat-Zinn's principles for MBSR available for the general public to engage with. Since it's publication last year, the book has received excellent reviews for its access to life-altering (beneficial) exercises for what seems to follow most people: Stress.
The exercise in this video is quite simple, and is outlined by the acronym STOP.
Stop - Cease what it is that you currently doing.
Take a Breath - Focus on the breath. Monitor
Observe - What is going on in the body? What are you feeling? Come to an understanding/acceptance of where one is at the present moment.
Proceed - Move forward and engage with what it is that is most important for you at that moment.
As a refresher, I quickly watched the video again this morning before leaving for work at 6:45 in order to equip myself for the day. Fifteen minutes later, it was put to the test as I listened to the 12 voicemails that blew-up my mailbox since the 21st. It was during my commute, so I had to keep my eyes open in order to ensure my own safety and the well-being of everyone else around me. I stopped, took a breath, and observed my body. Even before crossing the DC city limits, I could sense the tension already building in my neck and shoulders as I squeezed the steering wheel from the rising stress inside of me. My feelings began to shift negatively toward myself.
"It wouldn't be this way if you hadn't taken Thursday off. What were you thinking?"
I quickly put those thoughts to rest, and informed myself that I couldn't do anything about it at this point, and that the opportunity to deal with the content of the messages would come once I was in the confines of the office. I retired the thoughts, and I proceeded onward in my commute.
There are too many other accounts within the day for me to list where I instituted the use of STOP. Way too many. It was in no way an easy day, and I came home exhausted. I can, however, attest to the fact that I did find this exercise to be beneficial in slowing down my day and allowing me to process experiences in a way that was more informed and clear. The observing step was probably the most vital because it's typically the one that most of us (including myself) skip the most in our decision making and experience processing routines. Emotional/Feeling awareness is one thing, but our physical body also holds a great deal of those emotions/feelings that are often missed.
Just the brief exposure to the MBST Workbook may prompt me to invest in the entire workbook. I believe it will not only be a useful tool for my personal use, but also for potential use with clients. I'll just make sure that I STOP before hitting the purchase button. My wife will probably encourage that.
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