just one breath
Just for right now, I can take my next breath mindfully.
Have you been holding your breath without even realizing it?
Let’s breathe together.
Inhale through your nostrils for 4…
Hold for 7
Exhale through your mouth for 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8
Whenever you get caught up in the next thing to do, fix, or plan, see if you can w i d e n the space between thoughts and simply take a moment to breathe.
Everything will still be here for you when you return.
When things seem insurmountable, problems too big, the future too uncertain, the world too scary — know that all you have to focus on is your next breath.
Take a moment to feel the floor under your feet.
The ground that is holding you up, without you having to think about it. There is a force that holds you together and carries you moment to moment — can you feel it?
You can invite relaxation into your life right now, even if it’s just for one little moment, without needing anything else to change or be different.
But, if you find it hard to slow down even for just one breath, know that:
when we’re chronically overwhelmed, we may paradoxically feel a need to keep going (state of hyper-arousal)
in this state, you may find yourself consuming a lot of stimulation (scrolling, doing, feeling restless, mindlessly jumping from task to task) as a way of coping
sometimes we can subconsciously keep ourselves in a chronic state of overwhelm because we are avoiding fully being in our bodies, and thus also avoiding having to feel a potentially uncomfortable or painful feeling
chronic overstimulation may have been your way of coping with difficult emotional states in the moment
So slowing down at first can feel very unsafe — your anxiety may ramp up, prompting you to go back to a state of overstimulation.
Your nervous system says: “Overstimulation (fleeing) is the only way I know how to cope with this feeling! Are you sure it’s safe to slow down?!”
inviting a state of presence back, little by little, at a pace you can handle, is key
deepening your breaths and touching in to the calm, clear space within, for even just a second — is one simple way of doing so
therapy is one way for you to feel supported in this process of slowing down — you may receive guidance on how to do so safely and sustainably
… but in this moment, know that your breath is always here for you — it’s the basic building block for inviting feelings of safety back into your body.
New message: I don’t need anything outside of me to change, in order to feel okay right now. I can just be with myself, right here and now — I’m safe.
