One Minute Micro Reset
This is surprisingly effective, not just because you move your focus from the source/cause of stress and onto your body, but the act of breaking that focus itself does a lot to reduce your stress right out of the gate. Something can’t bug you if you’re not thinking about it!
A One Minute Reset requires no private space, no gear whatsoever (unless you want to set a timer, but it’s not recommended), and no one else is involved. It doesn’t get easier than this.
Here’s how to use it.
The moment you sense tension rising, stop for a moment. If your body is already tense, this may turn into a Two or Three Minute Reset, but that’s alright, too. Take the time you need.
First, begin by relaxing your shoulders; let them drop naturally. If already tense, raise your shoulders up as close to your ears as you can, and just let got, let them drop. Do that three or four times.
Second, feel your body being solidly supported either seated in your chair, or standing with your feet solidly on the ground. Give yourself extra points if you can do this outside with your bare feet in the grass. That’s called Grounding or Earthing and is backed by solid science.
Third, take a deep, slow, conscious breath, inhaling through your nose to the count of four. Hold it a few seconds. Exhale to the count of six, you can exhale through your mouth. If you’re tempted to exhale quickly, purse your lips like you’re going to whistle, this will slow down your exhale.
Fourth, bring your awareness to your chest. You can put your palm or your fist on your chest. Feel your connection to your heart space, you connection to peace.
This short time out works on several levels. It takes your thoughts off the thing causing the stress and moves to something calming, interrupts automatic stress response, reduces cortisol, and restores the nervous system balance that signals safety.
Please note, nothing here is forced. Forcing never works, just makes you more anxious. Taking a One Minute Reset lets you interrupt the automatic loop of stress long enough to reconnect with your non-anxious self.
Done frequently, perhaps daily in the morning or at lunch, One Minute Resets help create a new stress-reduced default setting. Over time, your nervous system recovers more easily and with less resistance.