How often do you take breaks during the day? Even though mindfulness is familiar and we know we should practice it, we struggle to do it and need reminders to stop and care for ourselves. Podcast guest, Shonda Moralis, who is a life balance coach and therapreneur, explains how mindfulness and finding a state of calm is when we perform at our best. She developed a method and wrote a book with the same name, Don’t Forget to Breathe, that focuses on simple, mindful breaks that can be applied in minutes. Mindful breaks are reminders and pauses to stop in our busy day that pull us out of our rush and autopilot nature, and pay attention to our body and the present moment. A new topic to Hines, mindful breaks can be as simple as taking 30 seconds or a minute to simply sit and be in the moment, and they can be as impactful as a long session of meditation. Instead of scrolling through your phone when you have a few free minutes sitting in line, drinking coffee, or waiting for a Zoom call to start, Moralis says pause, take a deep breath, drop your shoulders, and listen to what’s happening in your body or become aware of what’s around you. Pick one mindful break that you can do each day so that it becomes a habit like brushing your teeth.
Many people might be wondering what is the difference between mindfulness, meditation, and mindful breaks. Moralis explains mindfulness as being present in the moment with a spirit of kindness to pull ourselves out of autopilot in which we are either focused on the past or the future. Meditation is the practice of mindfulness to familiarize ourselves with our busy mind. Mindfulness helps us interrupt the negativity to help us focus on the present moments and see the simple beauty around us. Life balance and mindfulness are not just about getting calm, but checking in and being a-tuned to what is needed and recalibrating the balance in life. Studies have shown that the children of parents who participated in mindfulness exercises benefit indirectly from their parents being more mindful and calm at home. Give mindful breaks a try!
Shonda Moralis, MSW, LCSW is on a mission to help women play big without burning out. She is a Life Balance Coach, Therapreneur, Author, and Podcast Host. You can learn more about her books and work on her website: http://www.shondamoralis.net
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