Bitesize Mindfulness
3
STEPS
Made with gratitude to the frontline healthcare workers
TO A BETTER DAY
Daily practices to manage stress and cultivate inner resilience
AFTER WORK
3
4 MIN
Carve out more time and space for restoration.
DURING WORK
2
2 MIN
Use attention to manage daily experiences of stress and worry.
BEFORE WORK
1
3 MIN
Choose how we motivate ourselves.
This is a short 3 step well-being programme that incorporates some essential stress-reduction information with bite-sized practices. Each step is built around a self-management theme and can be easily integrated into any daily routine:
The aim of 3 Steps to a Better Day is not to direct, but to inspire individuals to find what works best for them.
1
BEFORE WORK
MOTIVATION
2
MINS
Step one is a reminder that we can CHOOSE how we motivate ourselves for the day ahead.
Setting an intention can be an effective way of doing this. Such as deciding to strengthen a specific quality or a trait (e.g. be calmer, or more patient), improve relationships and communication with others or make positive changes to our lifestyle.
The best time to cultivate inner motivation is in the morning, before we start interacting with the world. Staying clear of checking our phones or watching the news first thing will enable us to turn our attention inward.
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Find a moment of quiet
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Relax the body through deep breaths
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See today as a fresh start
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Set an intention
Setting an intention is a subtle yet powerful way of exercising positive conscious choices, practicing independent thinking, and making each day count.
Another option is to practice cultivating an attitude of openness and curiosity towards any new opportunities, simply by seeing each day as a new start and staying open to what it might bring.
INTENTION SETTING
Use this 2 minute guided audio to set intentions, or simply create your own morning routine.
Example statements:
Traits:
"Today I would like to be more assertive" / "I intend to be calmer under pressure today."
Relationships:
"I will smile more today"
Experience:
"Today, I choose to make time for . . ."
Non-work task:
"I would like to get . . . done"
Or simply acknowledging a new day:
"Today is a new day. I am open to what it brings"
WHY DO THIS?
Burnout may occur through overwhelm from endless tasks, work demands, and a sense of lack of appreciation. We can lose motivation to continue. However, motivation and acknowledgment do not have to come from external sources.
Inner motivation utilises our autonomy to make choices. It is a powerful driver to help us through a difficult day. Morning intentions focus on each day separately, thus breaking up a busy week.
We cannot choose life's challenges
but we can choose our intentions and attitudes.
2
DURING WORK
ATTENTION
3
MINS
Step two is about using attention to manage daily experiences of stress and worry.
This will specifically look at how to use ATTENTION through mindfulness techniques to break the loop of worrisome thoughts. The same principles can be applied to managing any other negative thought patterns, such as regret or rumination. To skip straight to the practices click
Why manage worry?
Worrying is a form of thinking about future events ("What if ?") in a way that leaves us feeling anxious or apprehensive. Clinically, excessive worry is the primary symptom of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). Contrary to common belief, there is no outcome of worry, other than it produces stress.
How is attention linked to worry?
Attention is a powerful tool of concentration. The time and attention spent on a particular worry can determine the amount of stress that worry might produce. This is due to the below key properties of attention:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Attention can only be fully directed at
ONE PLACE at a time
Attention is like a MAGNIFYING GLASS amplifying anything that it is placed onto
Attention can always be REDIRECTED
What happens when we direct attention to thoughts of worry?
The first two attributes of attention naturally come into play. When a worry gets our full attention, it can magnify:
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A "What if ?" thought of worry appears and is followed by thoughts of negative predictions,
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The worry then gets our full attention (ONE PLACE), as we are trying to problem solve it,
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All else then might fade into the background, as we get caught up in thinking.
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The prolonged attention then MAGNIFIES both the issues and the negative outcomes,
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Resulting in more and more "What if's ?",
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This might then lead to excessive worry or catastrophe thinking.
BUT...
We can problem-solve an issue which is present and in the here and now,
We cannot problem-solve a thought of future potential that might or might not happen.
The variables are not yet known, and a lot of times, are not down to us.
Therefore we cannot problem-solve a worry.
Worry only remains as a loop of thinking, however this loop still causes enough stress to negatively impact our health.
It is down to us to manage our daily investment in worry.
NOTICE. QUESTION. REDIRECT.
REPEAT.
How to use ATTENTION to manage excessive worry.
Worry is just like any other thought. It can arise automatically, triggered by situations and events.
We cannot stop thoughts from arising or forcefully change them.
But we can redirect attention away from them, which removes their potency.
When we redirect attention, we then start absorbing a different experience. Focusing on something else even for one minute breaks the loop of thinking, and the stress then subsides.
Use attention to notice and question a worry. Worrying is thinking about the future. To come out of worry deliberately, redirect your attention back to the present moment.
STEP 2 ATTENTION PRACTICES:
1. NOTICE.
Notice worry as THOUGHTS, NOT AN EVENT. Notice the stress in the body.
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"What if ?" thoughts with progressively worse outcomes
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Feelings of stress or fear
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Physical tension
2. QUESTION.
Question the validity of the thoughts from the present moment perspective.
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Is this a real issue or a prediction?
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How do I know this will happen for sure?
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Is this directly linked to my actions? Can I fix this?
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Is this worry necessary right now? Can I drop this for today?
3. REDIRECT.
Redirect attention to the present moment.
We can come back to the present moment through a simple decision to start paying attention to our immediate environment, instead of our thoughts.
The 3 short mindfulness practices below offer other examples of working with the present-moment attention through the use of the BREATH, direct SENSES, or TASKS.
REDIRECT TO THE BREATH
OPTION 1: This is a quick Breathing Space practice to calm the nervous system and break the thinking loop :
Stand straight / Sit upright in a chair, legs uncrossed, feet flat on the floor.
Relax your neck and drop your shoulders, rest your arms by your sides.
Take deep gentle breaths through your nose, into your abdomen until you see it gently rise, for a slow count of five.
Pause, and hold the breath for a count of five, then gently exhale through your mouth for another count of five.
Repeat 5 times then breathe normally.
While doing this, try to clear your mind of all other thoughts. It might help to silently count.
OPTION 2: Follow the guided audio below for the 3-minute Breathing Space:
REDIRECT TO THE SENSES
Each time we deliberately pay attention to the senses, we step out of thinking.
Quick 3-2-1 check-in:
Focus on the direct sensory input from your immediate environment.
Stay clear of any analysis and mind interpretations.
First, notice 3 things you can SEE. Look around you and become aware of your environment. Try to pick out something that you don’t usually notice.
Then notice 2 things you can HEAR,
Then notice 1 thing you can feel through TOUCH.
Repeat the cycle 3 times, each time noticing new things.
Observe the momentum of thoughts and stress naturally subside. Practice regularly as a conscious break from thinking.
REDIRECT TO A TASK
Direct your full attention to a task at hand. Focus fully on the sensory input of a physical task or on the problem-solving if the task is analytical.
Stay alert and present in the environment:
"What can I observe around and in front of me?"
TIP: Recall your INTENTION
For support and motivation when facing daily challenges. Returning to a positive thought also can calm stress, worry & anxiety.
REPEAT.
This is a daily practice of attention and discernment.
Working with present-moment attention is at the core of mindfulness practice.
The more we practice, the easier it becomes to manage stress arising from thoughts.
WHY DO THIS?
Stress and anxiety can arise from excessive worry about future worst-case scenarios or rumination over past mistakes.
Excessive worry can cloud our judgment and reduce our ability to efficiently respond to immediate demands.
We can work with thoughts of worry by bringing our attention back to the present moment. This is how we learn to disengage from worry and remain calmer, focused, and more resilient to stress.
We cannot solve something that has not yet occurred, but we can focus on what is happing right now.
3
AFTER WORK
LETTING GO
MINS
4
Step three reminds us to LET GO of the day and give ourselves a break.
Draw the line. Let go of the day.
This is a useful practice for separating work and private life or for making a conscious transition into the evening period of downtime.
A difficult day at work can easily seep into our evening in the form of thoughts of rumination or a sense of uneasiness, which can further drain our energy.
This can be prevented by designating a time and space for days' reflection to:
a) Constructively work with our thoughts
b) Wrap-up the day (Utilising the journey back from work could be a good opportunity to do this).
The process of reflection is purely individual, but it helps to use the same structure and questions each time:
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Briefly assess the day overall.
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Note any positive new learning.
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Note what was challenging and why (this is an opportunity for development, rather than a failure).
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Lastly, note what went well.
Spend as much time as you wish on each question, but finish on a positive note. Choose a moment that signifies that the reflection process is done. For example finishing the journey, or entering the home.
Then respectfully let go of the day. That was then, and this is now.
UTILISE HUMOUR TO COUNTERACT PERSISTENT RUMINATION
This can be a fun, yet effective method to interrupt the loop of negative thinking:
a) Notice the thought and then,
b) Throw in the exact opposite thought - to the extreme.
For example, a thought arises, such as: "I always make mistakes, I am no good at this"
Counter with: "I am so good at everything I do, I should get a daily standing ovation!"
Exaggerate the second thought as much as possible. Whilst this is done to make light of things, it also enables us to look back at the first thought and note it as equally untrue.
From this point, we can explore a middle-ground, and take a more realistic stance.
Use attention and mindfulness for restoration.
Remember that Attention can only be directed at ONE PLACE at a time
Put your attention to things you enjoy as much as possible.
Remember that Attention is like a MAGNIFYING GLASS amplifying anything that is placed onto
Let attention magnify a pleasant experience.
Give your full attention to eating a delicious meal, and notice textures and flavours.
No thinking necessary.
Remember that Attention can always be REDIRECTED
No need to just be irritated by something.
Switch the channel.
Or...Take a minute and remember your favourite holiday...