Stress. We all experience it in some form, and we generally need help at some point dealing with it. Stress is a fact of life, but in itself, it is not problematic - sometimes it can help us survive in dangerous moments. What does matter is how we respond to that stress. Most of us don’t work in life-or-death environments when we need that stress response to kick in. We worry about things like finances, exams, our children, our jobs and so on. It can become a constant pattern and we normalise the stress response to the point it becomes “just how we are” and a natural way to live. The constant exposure to living in stress (as opposed to living with it) can result in chronic and severe physical and mental health issues, effecting our digestion, immune system, sleep and blood pressure, among other things.

Life is 24/7 for us all. It is vital to carve a space in your everyday to STOP. Why is this important? Because you might not even know you are living in constant stress and the damage it is doing. It needs to be an intentional act. Scale back down the mountain of anxiety. Come back to the present. Gain some perspective and recognise that you do have a choice in how you respond to your day. You are not a slave to your stress response.

Take 5 minutes between the cause of stress and your response to it, and practice this little acronym:

STOP what you are doing. Step away, put it down, leave things for a short while.

TAKE some deep breaths. Pay attention to your breathing and the feeling of air coming in through the nose and out through the mouth. Breathe naturally, don’t force it or try to get into any kind of false rhythm.

OBSERVE your current situation. Pay attention to your feelings and your thoughts. Reflect that your thoughts aren’t necessarily facts, that they are transient and don’t have to live in your head. Notice your emotions and name them; “I am feeling....”. How are they playing out - are they impacting your body? Do you have anything that is aching or twinging? Are you slumped or standing up straight?

PROCEED with an act that will provide support and comfort in this current moment - make a cuppa, rub your neck and shoulders, take a few more minutes to check in with a trusted friend. This is not separate to your mindful stopping, it is a continued important part of it.

Look for those opportunities to STOP. Unless you are omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent - we all have these chances! It can be first thing (put down that phone and STOP before you scroll!), while you have a shower, before you start a piece of work.

STOP before you get started. It may feel counterintuitive at first, but if you occasionally remind yourself to periodically stop during the day, you will be more aware of what is happening externally, but also what is happening inside of you, too. You might notice negative self-talk and harmful thinking, or how your body is responding. Stopping can provide space to notice this and to correct it before you carry on with your day.

Make a STOP, be in the present, and unhitch from the habits of busyness for a while.