Put Down Your Day For 5 Minutes

Mindfulness is a skill practiced not only to help people manage responses to daily stressors (deadlines, exams), but also to increase positive emotion. By practicing Mindfulness, we can positively and deliberately recognise and influence how we experience adverse emotions throughout our day, and how we engage in our daily work.

We all know the concept of ‘taking 5’ minutes rest to recover and recharge – however, time off is only part of the benefit. By focusing attention consciously on the present moment, we take a break from the worries of the future and regrets of the past, no longer feeding the stress response of our body and rumination of the mind. This is the simplest thing to do. No need to quieten the mind, or try to relax - a quieter mind and relaxation are the results of bringing your attention into the here and now.

This can be done anywhere at any time - take 30 seconds or 30 minutes - and be completely anonymous. So, stop, switch of the phone, put down your possessions and the day so far, breath, and find the present moment. It is right under your nose.

If you’re going to take 5, make it a present5