Hey Business Owner - You Deserve A Daily Reset
Updated: Dec 2, 2022
Stressors come to us from all areas of our lives. Some are mild (the water boiled over in the tea kettle) and some are major (your partner lost a job and now you have to plan for a mortgage payment on your part-time job).
Some stress can be helpful - for example, sitting on the line at a bike race with heart racing and palms sweaty = stress. Yet, cyclists do this again and again, because they enjoy this type of stress. This type of stress many of us choose to pursue, happily, buying gear and making plans to do it again.
However, when you have a stress reaction to daily life over and over, it is time to address the problems at hand.
As someone who suffers from mostly managed anxiety, I understand if stressors make it impossible to let anything settle within your life. A one-minute reset may truly not be enough if in this situation. It wasn't for me at first. If you find yourself unable to settle or if meditation or pause in your day is not enough to help, I would recommend professional counseling, or a professional meditation instructor, and a perhaps meeting with a trusted doctor. These individuals can help you create a pathway through the mind spin. I call it mind spin, as that is exactly what I am familiar with - the mind spinning out of control. Professional help may not be needed for the entirety of your life, but it certainly is a starting point.
It wasn't until I was 40 years old that I found a doctor who sat me down and said, "You have a chemical imbalance causing anxiety." I cried in his office. I had felt like a madwoman since high school and tried everything to make the mind spin stop. When he diagnosed me, I felt long-awaited hope. My lifestyle at the time included practicing yoga, riding bikes, lifting weights, journaling, and meditating almost daily. He admitted if someone was not already pursuing an active, healthy lifestyle, he typically prescribes these items first. Since I was doing these things, we decided on a course of low-dose anxiety medication. Within the following month, my mind calmed to a point that I was able to create space in my head to process. This resulted in a slow down of mind spin and clarity for decision making. It also gave me the ability to simply enjoy my life.
Because of the stresses of our modern lives, I am promoting taking a break to jump-start the process of better. And if you just heard cheering in your head, then I celebrate that you know this one-minute break is just for you!
If you felt a sense of panic, this means you need this reset more you think. ;)
Trust me, you can set aside one minute, for this practice. But if the thought of this gives you anxiety, please know it is just one minute. I know the dangers of the anxiety of pausing when your to-do list and sense of responsibility are huge or feel huge. When I was required to meditate daily during my yoga teacher training, I envisioned the kitchen blowing up because I was not in there doing something. Crazy and yet, when I began the practice of meditation, it really did get easier. Some days it was just giving myself the time - even just the one minute - to stop and breathe, some days it was a guided meditation. It varies, and you know what you need at the moment. Trust that.
The recommended time to start doing a daily reset practice is now, or as soon as possible. Try not to wait another day. When I was dealing with crippling anxiety, I recognized I had to reset myself almost hourly. At the worst moments when anxiety closed in and everything felt urgent, I had to choose to reset myself minute by minute. It was a constant battle during this time to ensure that I was able to walk through my day being present for anything or anyone. I was working as a public school teacher in a middle school at the time and this made my need for presence necessary. The reset was necessary in order for me to be present for others who needed me.
Why not give this daily practice a try? You have nothing to lose, and so much to gain - space to think, clarity, and wisdom are things I received from a daily reset.
Again, one minute is the starting point - starting somewhere is better than not starting at all.
Here is a suggested structure to have a one-minute break, daily. We are going to start with our video below. First, let's set up the space:
Choose a time of day that works best for you. I am a morning person and wake up before my husband, so this is the best time of the day for me.
Make it an intention to set up an interrupted one minute. Use a timer on your watch or phone to track this time.
If you are in a busy location, put earbuds in to keep from interruption, or if possible I recommend going outside. If you cannot get outside and you need to ensure you won't be bothered, no one will fault you for a bathroom break that takes one minute longer.
I recommend videos, as they have a visual and audio guide, and we all learn differently. There are countless options for resets on Youtube and more - just have the resources accessible and ready to go for you at any time. If you need content beyond our video below, we suggest the Insight Timer as this app has a ton of resources available. The timer feature is so wonderful, as you can set background music or not, and any length of time desired.
Remember to breathe. Reconnecting to breath is one of the the surest ways to reset your day. Therefore, it is ideal that if you cannot do anything else, take three deep breaths. Be sure those breaths are deep and complete, we call it a three-part breath. On an inhale, fill your belly, expand your ribcage, and bring the breath up to the shoulder blades. On an exhale, follow the same process, but in reverse. If you need a visual, we got you--> a video on three-part breathing.
Give yourself and the universe gratitude. You did something for yourself and that result will benefit others!
Use the video below to begin the practice.
How did it go?
We encourage taking these resets as frequently as possible. They will benefit you mentally and that will pour over into other areas of your life. Here are three notable ways these breaks will help you in the long run:
Mental well-being - Stressors take a back burner when you take a break. You give yourself time to stop the mind spin. Mind spin is when your head is going so fast with your to-do lists and shoulds that you cannot focus on one thing for any time at all. Imagine the Exorcist head spin when things get really out of control, as unfortunately can be how it feels, and it gives us something to laugh about. Taking a break resets mind spin, and may even distract you into forgetting all the things for a minute!
Creativity surge - Stepping away from the computer and into the outdoors (highly recommended) for a pause allows for a fresh perspective. Creativity increases when we give ourselves time to process. Stepping away from one project when you have hit capacity allows for things to marinate, and gives the brain a needed break. When you return to the task, you are then able to address areas where you were previously stuck, often with creative insights.
Increased workflow - At first glance, this may sound counterintuitive, but as you know, taking a break actually increases workflow capabilities. Stepping away gives us needed space to stop mind spin regarding tasks. When you return to a project after a break, your mental capacity to handle the situation will be rejuvenated and you will be ready to face what lies ahead.
We know you can read and read about taking a reset, but we recommend instead, that you practice. Take time now, and play the video above. Use this time to connect to yourself, to your intentions. The results may just be the key to your next big success!
If you found insight or help from this practice, we would love to know. Take a moment and send us a note here. Additionally, if you have things that help you stop the mind spin, we would also love to hear about the tools you use to promote well-being in your realm.
-Namaste
We found a lot of valuable insight from these resources:
https://ed.stanford.edu/news/student-stress-during-pandemic
https://workplace.msu.edu/breaks-during-the-workday/