Mindful Monday

Another name for mindfulness is Brain Break. Brain Breaks can help to get refocused Great for doing before a test Calm down after lunch Control emotions Brain Break Another name for mindfulness is Brain Break.

Practicing Mindfulness on a regular basis can help you regulate your emotions, decrease anxiety/depression and improve our focus.

A Brain Break is about living in the moment. Not what happened yesterday. Or a test you have tomorrow. The focus is on what is going on at this very moment!

Today we are going to learn 2 different ways to take a Brain Break. Lazy 8 Breathing MIndfulness 5-4-3-2-1

Slowly breathe out as you move your finger downward on the 8 Lazy 8 Breathing Sit in a comfortable position Both feet on floor Relax your abdomen Slowly breathe in, beginning on left side of the 8 Hold your breath at the top for 1 second Slowly breathe out as you move your finger downward on the 8

Now take a 2 minute Brain Break and practice the breathing using the lazy 8.

Now practice the lazy 8 without your paper for 1 minute.

Using all 5 senses can be a tool to help ground you Using all 5 senses can be a tool to help ground you. In other words, it helps focus on the present.

A tool to help you focus on the present is; Mindfulness 5-4-3-2-1. Close your eyes Think of 5 things you to see 4 things you touch 3 things you hear 2 things you smell 1 thing you taste.

Take a few minutes and do this one in your head. (this exercise should be quiet)

This is perfect to do and no one will know you are doing it. It is useful to do before a test, before a concert or before a big game.

If you find yourself overwhelmed, upset, or just need to take a pause, both of these tools can help you refocus.

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