We live in a fast-paced world. Between responsibilities at work, home, and social life, there is little time to take care of ourselves. If we don't pay attention, we might find our stress level going up and up until our body and mind rebel and go into shut down mode.

I teach a powerful tool to help address stress, anxiety, depression and a multitude of mental and physical health concerns: mindfulness. A formal mindfulness practice usually involves carving some time out of your day, sitting (or lying or moving) for a set period of time, and focusing on something in particular with a sense of curiosity, nonjudgment, acceptance, and compassion.

Confession time: I hate to meditate! I suck at it. I can't sit still that long -- though the more I practice the easier it becomes. I prefer to use what are called informal mindfulness practices: paying attention in the moment. Noticing what I'm doing, the state of my body and mind, and breathing.

I build informal mindfulness practices into my daily life so that I'm constantly monitoring and modulating my stress level. One of my favorites is to Ground, Breathe, and Proceed.

When I'm transitioning between tasks, rather than just start right in, I take a moment to pause and:

• Feel my feet firmly planted on the ground.
• Take a full body breath. Breathe in to engage the diaphragm muscle (which helps stimulate relaxation), check in with my stress level, and exhale fully releasing any tension.
• Proceed with a clear mind and a more relaxed body.

Here's a live demonstration of the technique:
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Most people carry a lot of tension in their shoulders. Sometimes I find myself typing and my shoulders are up around my ears! (Yup, just happened.)

I'm all for making the most of my time, so I like to pair stretching with breathing to create mindful movement practices that relax my tense body and busy brain at the same time.

My favorite is doing head rolls that are synced to the in and out breath. I learned this one in a yoga class many, many years ago, and it's has been a tried and true relaxation and mental reset technique since then. 

​It's a bit difficult to explain how to do it, so I'd rather show you. Just check out the video below.

A note of caution, please be gentle or don't do this exercise if you have neck injuries. Listen to your body, go slow, and stop if you feel pain.