Everyday Practices
Breathing Room at Work
For Pressure, Unkindness and Feeling Alone at Work
US$6 5 practices · 11 tracks · listen or download
Get the pack · US$6Work can ask a lot of us. The deadlines pile up and the pressure doesn’t let go. Sometimes it’s the people that make it hard. A sharp comment, or sitting in a busy office and still feeling on our own.
It makes sense that these moments hurt. We’re wired for warmth and connection, and when it’s missing, the nervous system lets us know. That’s Protection Mode, trying to look after us. What helps is a few minutes to step away, come back to the breath, and offer ourselves some of the kindness we’re not getting from around us.
Some of these practices are for pressure, with a longer out-breath and a short scan through the body. Others are for the harder moments, when kindness feels missing or you feel isolated. These come with a few words to say to yourself, like ‘May I be gentle with myself, even when I feel alone.’ There’s also a longer break that works through body, mind and world.
There are five practices here. Four of them come in more than one version, including one where you can choose just the breathing or just the body scan, and a mindful break that runs from around eight minutes to almost sixteen.
What’s inside
Pause and Reset
3 versions
Breath and body scan · 10 minBody scan only · 7 minBreathing only · 4 min
For when the pressure has piled up. You sit with your feet flat, drop your shoulders and soften your jaw. Then you breathe in for four and out for six, as I count you through. After that comes a body scan, from the crown of your head down to your feet, with the shoulders dropping ‘like a gentle waterfall.’ It ends with one long sweep down the body. The other two versions split it in two: one is just the body scan, the other just the breathing.
Step Away to Return Stronger
2 versions
Full version · 6 minShorter version · 4 min
For stepping out of work mode, even for five minutes. After two slow breaths, you look around and silently name five things you can see, as if for the first time. Then four things you can feel, like your clothes against your skin or the floor under your feet, and three things you can hear. Then you go round once more, with different things this time. It ends with noticing how you feel, ready to go back ‘with fresh focus.’ The shorter version goes round once.
When Kindness Feels Missing
2 versions
Full version · 7 minShorter version · 4 min
For when work feels cold, and you’ve been brushed off or met with sarcasm. It hurts because, as I say in the practice, ‘humans are wired for warmth.’ You rest with the breath as a soothing anchor. Then you bring a phrase of self-care to mind, like ‘I deserve kindness’ or ‘May I meet myself with care,’ and if it feels right, you place a hand on your heart. The shorter version leaves out choosing a phrase and the hand on the heart.
When I Feel Isolated
7 min
For when work feels lonely, even with people all around you. I explain that this feeling has a job: the body signals pain when connection is missing. Then you slow the breath, saying ‘here’ on the in-breath and ‘now’ on the out-breath. You might picture one small act of connection you could make today, like a hello. It ends with some words to hold on to: ‘May I be gentle with myself, even when I feel alone.’
A Quick Mindful Break
3 versions
Full version · 16 minShorter version · 12 minMicro version · 8 min
For a mindful break, wherever you are. You work through body, mind and world. You slow the breath, notice how you’re feeling and count what you can feel through touch. Then you watch for thoughts behind closed eyes, ‘a bit like being at a cinema.’ After that you open your eyes to what’s around you. A few questions about the rest of your day follow, then the sentence ‘For the rest of today, I choose…’ The shorter version has fewer questions. The micro version leaves the questions out.