What does it take to stop cycles of behavior that have us stuck in suffering? This practice will help you do that. This practice will teach you how to pay attention. This exercise activates awareness, and awareness is the most potent tool you have in changing unwanted behaviors. It helps you wake up, and everything shifts when you wake up to what no longer supports happiness.
Why & How to Stop, Look, and Listen
Don’t press the panic button! Stress has a way of convincing you to subscribe to panic and act without pause. The whirlwind of crazy activity pulls you in, and before you know it you are drowning in the story with no hope of resolution. In reality, most situations in life do not demand an urgent response.
Sarah explains why and how to stop, look and listen…
Action Step: Quick Reset and Recenter
Tip: Jump to the practice portion of the video above by selecting the circle marker (○) in the video progress bar or by selecting the chapter from the chapters menu (the bulleted list icon).
Commit to looking at what shows up. Tend to the feelings that surface and keep going.
- Stop- Notice what it feels like to be triggered by an event, a person, or your environment. Don’t try to figure it out or build a storyline around your feelings. Just be aware that something has happened, and it feels unsettling. Now start to breathe deeply. Continue to take long, deep breaths for as long as it takes to calm your emotions. *Assess whether you can have a supportive conversation now. If not, wait. (I give myself at least a day to gain perspective in challenging situations)
- Look- Inquire within; the lens of your life will open and inform you. You can embrace the situation and take the “right” action—no regrets to deal with, no hurt to rectify. Just forward positive momentum. Note that this can be a challenging step, and it requires that you offer yourself a tremendous amount of compassion before moving on.
- Listen- Bring your attention inside. Drop into the nonreactive place of your spirit, that place of grace. Put your hands on your heart center. Take a deep breath into your energetic heart space. Mentally vibrate this mantra: Grace Allows My Spirit an Expansive Experience of ME.
Feel the response of your body, mind, heart, and spirit. Even the smallest shifts count. If you are inspired, journal the experience; how different does it feels to respond gracefully rather than react defensively?
Each time you practice this, you are retraining your brain. You mindfully navigate through old behaviors that keep you stuck in hurtful patterns when you pause before reacting. This honors personal energy and is a generous act of self-love. YOU deserve a clean slate, a restart, decide what deserves your attention and what to let go of.
These videos are part of Sarah’s mini course, 10 Tools To Relieve Stress. Details on this mini course are coming soon. Reach out if you are interested.
