KatieWhen was the last time your day tried to run away from you? You know what I’m talking about, right? When you log in to work, school, or whatever your to-do list has to wait for you that day, and next thing you know several hours have passed and you’ve barely looked up from your task at hand. You may have been productive but the stress is already starting to weigh on you. You need a break, as hard as it may be to get away, you know you need a break. It is on those days that I want you to reach for this mid-day break meditation.
I wrote this meditation amid a season of complete burnout and fatigue. Every single day, I was waking up, getting in my movement while I could, logging onto my email for my full-time job, and barely even stopping to refill my water for the first half of my day. I’d take a short break to take my dog for a walk and while that was good for me too, I knew it mostly only happening for him. The breaks I was taking were still for others and not for my own mental health and re-set.
Meditation has always been one of those things that help me return to myself pretty quickly. When we’re in the thick of it (whatever IT may be in your world right now), there’s not a lot of extra time which is why I kept this meditation nice and short. You only need six minutes to reset your mind, body, soul, and energy with this mid-day break meditation. I think you’ll find that six minutes is the perfect amount to come back home to yourself and trust that you will actually return your task list with far greater focus than if you kept trying to push through.
Mid-Day Break Meditation
Do you have a few more minutes to reset your energy? Here are a few more things you can incorporate into your break before heading back to your to-do list or email inbox:
Get outside
If you have time for a walk, that’s always great but if you’re not able to get out for a walk, just step outside and take a few long, slow, deep breaths outside in the fresh air. Especially during seasons when we have our homes closed up while running the furnace or air conditioning, breathing in the fresh air can feel so invigorating.
Drink water
Personally, I often find myself refilling my coffee cup when I really need to focus on the task at hand and often forget that drinking water can actually be what we need. You won’t see me poo-pooing a good cup of coffee, but don’t forget to incorporate some water into your rotation and watch it nourish your beautiful brain.
Take a nap
I feel like workplaces need to start incorporating nap time into our workdays. If you’ve ever found yourself feeling so exhausted that you just can’t focus, it can be so amazing to take a quick nap to reset. I’ll set an alarm on my phone for 20 minutes, lay down, close my eyes, and even if I only sleep for a few minutes, it always helps me feel so much better and more focused when I get up.
Eat nourishing foods
Along the same lines as drinking water, if you’re eating foods that are fried, processed, and sugary, that’s not going to help you out in the long run. Opt for the salad with healthy fats and protein at lunch instead of the greasy burger and fries which will leave you feeling mentally and physically weighed down.
Move your body
I’m not talking about an intense workout, I’m talking just a little gentle movement to release some of the stagnant, stressed-out energy. This can look like a short walk outside or taking a few minutes for yoga or stretching. There is a short, eight-minute office yoga break class on my YouTube channel that’s another great way to reset your day.
What are some of your favorite ways to get in your mid-day break?
