<div class="iframe-wrapper"><iframe src="https://iframe.mediadelivery.net/embed/431082/86883534-567c-43ec-9d01-4736fbfdf2b4?autoplay=false" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div>Finding Your Breathing Space: A Simple Mindfulness Practice to Ease Stress<p style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; color: rgb(85, 99, 112); font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Life has a knack for catching us off guard. One moment, we feel in control, and the next, we’re swamped with stress or in a deep well of negative thoughts. It’s in those moments that a little breathing space can work wonders. That’s where the STOP practice comes in—a simple yet powerful mindfulness tool to help you pause, reset, and navigate the challenges of the day.<h3 id="90136aa1-d73a-415a-9e79-0f858e50d979" data-toc-id="90136aa1-d73a-415a-9e79-0f858e50d979" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">What Is the STOP Practice?</h3><p style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; color: rgb(85, 99, 112); font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">STOP stands for:<ul style="color: rgb(85, 99, 112); font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">S – Stop and take stock</li><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">T – Take a breath</li><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">O – Open and observe</li><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">P – Proceed with awareness</li></ul><p style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; color: rgb(85, 99, 112); font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This practice invites you to step out of autopilot mode and into the present moment, no matter how chaotic life feels. It’s not about solving all your problems in five minutes. It’s about reconnecting with your natural resilience and creating space to respond thoughtfully rather than react automatically.<h3 id="1524d525-c4dd-4c39-b70e-60143e21ac24" data-toc-id="1524d525-c4dd-4c39-b70e-60143e21ac24" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">How It Works</h3><ol style="color: rgb(85, 99, 112); font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">Stop and Take Stock Pause. Ask yourself: What’s happening for me right now? Notice your:<ul><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">Thoughts: What’s running through your mind?</li><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">Feelings: Are you calm, frustrated, sad, or something else?</li><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">Sensations: How does your body feel? Tight? Light? Heavy?</li></ul></li><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">Acknowledge whatever is there without judgment. This is about awareness, not fixing.</li><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">Take a Breath Bring your attention to your breathing. Notice each in-breath and out-breath as they come and go. This anchors you to the present moment and invites stillness.</li><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">Open and Observe Gradually expand your awareness outward. Notice your body as a whole—your posture, facial expression, or any areas of tension. Then, widen your attention to the world around you: the sights, sounds, and smells of your environment.</li><li style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; margin-block-end: 0.5em;">Proceed with Awareness Having created this space, move forward with curiosity and openness. What do you notice now? Sometimes, a small pause is all it takes to see a situation differently or to find a fresh perspective.</li></ol><h3 id="d3614ca4-8b49-48fd-b74a-7b167761f648" data-toc-id="d3614ca4-8b49-48fd-b74a-7b167761f648" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">Why It Matters</h3><p style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; color: rgb(85, 99, 112); font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Stress has a way of shrinking our world, narrowing our focus on what’s wrong. STOP creates a mindful pause that allows us to step back, see the bigger picture, and reconnect with the calm that’s already within us.<p style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; color: rgb(85, 99, 112); font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">You don’t need to wait for a crisis to use STOP. It’s just as useful for a tough workday or a moment of overwhelm at home. Like a mental reset button, it’s there whenever you need it.<h3 id="391fc4c9-88aa-4338-8a83-d13978c8e0b1" data-toc-id="391fc4c9-88aa-4338-8a83-d13978c8e0b1" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">Ready to Try It?</h3><p style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; color: rgb(85, 99, 112); font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">If this resonates with you, take five minutes to try the STOP practice. You can follow along with the video above. Together, we’ll explore how this simple breathing space can help you navigate stress and return to your natural clarity and resilience.<p style="font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.6; color: rgb(85, 99, 112); font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Alternatively check out the longer audio meditation by clicking below.<img src="https://ezycourse.b-cdn.net/5544/cmi8fsuyj0rwypj8z01rqhn71.png" containerstyle="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer; " alt="image">

Finding Your Breathing Space: A Simple Mindfulness Practice to Ease Stress

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Finding Your Breathing Space: A Simple Mindfulness Practice to Ease Stress

Finding Your Breathing Space: A Simple Mindfulness Practice to Ease Stress

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