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{{label}}Alisa Camplin - 2 min read
28 November 2017
Need to hit the pause button? Alisa Camplin gets the lowdown on the best three-minute exercise to do when you need some breathing space.
Sometimes we can get caught up in stress or overwhelming emotion, and it can be hard to think clearly or have a healthy perspective. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, or simply need to re-centre, then mindfulness can be a great tool. I spoke to clinical psychologist Dr Melissa Day to drill down on her preferred method.
THE ‘3-MINUTE BREATHING SPACE’
"The '3-minute breathing space' is a highly portable mindfulness practice that I regularly teach. It provides a practical way to ‘hit the pause button’ on life, take stock of experience, ground oneself in the moment with a sense of non-judgmental self-kindness, and then to carry this openness and wider perspective forward as we then go on about our day. “It involves three basic steps:
ONE
“Pause your business and ‘doing’ mode and step into ‘being mode’ by closing your eyes (if it feels comfortable for you), and be with your experience. Check in with yourself and notice what physical sensations are present in your body. What emotions are there? What thoughts are going through your mind space?
TWO
“After taking stock, anchor yourself in the present moment by resting your attention on the movements of the breath as it enters and leaves your body. There is no need to control the breath in any way. Pay attention to the fullness of the in-breath, and the fullness of the outbreath, and the pauses in between – just gently riding the waves of your breath.
THREE
“Lastly, allow your attention to expand back outwards, by having awareness not only of the movements of your breath, but also your body and wider experience as a whole. Maintain this open, non-judgmental awareness as your carry this experience forward and go on about your day.
“Given we humans are creatures of habit, it helps to actually schedule this brief practice into our day. It might help to set a reminder on your phone. Aim to do this at least three times throughout the day. Don’t be too worried about the length of the practice; the key is to regularly pause, tune in with self-kindness, and reconnect to the present moment.”
Dr Melissa Day is a Clinical psychologist and research fellow at the University of Queensland.
A former world champion aerial skier, Alisa Camplin made sporting history in 2002 as the first ever Australian woman to win gold at the Winter Olympics. After 18 years as a global corporate executive, Alisa now juggles a mix of sport, business, consulting, charity and governance roles. No stranger to physical and emotional trials, Alisa runs Resilience and High Performance programs to assist others in achieving their full potential. Awarded the prestigious Order of Australia medal, Alisa is passionate about mental wellbeing and helping people thrive. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a financial adviser or medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.
Disclaimer:
The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional, tax or other advice. It does not take into account any individual’s personal situation or needs. You should consider obtaining professional advice from a financial adviser and/or tax specialist, or medical or health practitioner, in relation to your own circumstances and before acting on this information.
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