1-Minute Mindfulness Exercises

First and foremost, congratulations on completing the first two weeks of remote learning! We know that this has not been the easiest of transitions, but you have risen to the challenge with style and grace.

As we continue through the next few weeks there is likely to be more challenges amongst your victories, so we want to make sure that you are remembering to take care of yourself during this unprecedented time. Self-care is so important, allowing one to help manage stress, ease anxieties and help to find relaxation during the emotional ups and downs.

Here is a snippet from “1 Minute Mindfulness Exercises” from PsychCentral. The article has several 1-minute activities to help calm and refocus the mind.

1-Minute Mindfulness Exercises

(Stewart-Weeks, 2020)

Yawn and stretch for 10 seconds every hour.

Do a fake yawn if you have to. That will trigger real ones. Say “ahh” as you exhale. Notice how a yawn interrupts your thoughts and feelings. This brings you into the present. Then stretch really, really slowly for at least 10 seconds. Notice any tightness and say “ease” or just say hello to that place (being mindful — noticing without judgment). Take another 20 seconds to notice and then get back to what you were doing.

Clench your fist and breathe into your fingers.

Position your fingers and thumbs facing down. Now clench your fist tightly. Turn your hand over so your fingers and thumbs are facing up and breathe into your fist. Notice what happens.

Mindful breathing for one minute.

Lower your eyes and notice where you feel your breath. That might be the air going in and out at your nostrils or the rise and fall of your chest or stomach. If you can’t feel anything, place your hand on your stomach and notice how your hand gently rises and falls with your breath. If you like, you can just lengthen the in breath and the out breath or just breathe naturally. Your body knows how to breathe. Focus on your breath. When your mind wanders, as it will do, just bring your attention back to your breath. You might like to say ‘thinking’ when you notice your thoughts and just gently shepherd your attention back to your breath. This can be done for longer than one minute. However, even for one minute it will allow you to pause and be in the moment. Or you might just like to breathe out stress on the out breath and breathe in peace on the in breath.

Stewart-Weeks, L. (2020). 1-minute mindfulness exercises. Retrieved https://psychcentral.com/blog/1-minute-mindfulness-exercises/