Follow Your Breath
One of the stress-management strategies we have learned is to focus on
our breath. In this activity, we are going to practice this strategy for ten
minutes.
This may sound easy, but it can be very challenging. With schoolwork,
chores, cellphones, televisions, computers, and other ways of distracting
ourselves, we rarely sit down and do nothing. That, however, is exactly
what we are going to do for the next ten minutes. The only thing you have
to do is try to stay focused on your breath.
Directions:
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Sit straight up in your chair. It is important that your spine is straight for this activity. Otherwise, you
could become sleepy.
Close your eyes and shift your focus to your breath. Where do you feel your breath? Your nose, mouth,
lungs, chest? Notice the breath coming in and going out. You don’t have to breathe any special way.
Just breathe normally and stay focused on it.
Your mind will start generating thoughts. These could be thoughts about things that took place in the
past or that will take place in the future. You could be judging this experience. “This is kind of weird.”
Just notice these thoughts and then gently go back to focusing on your breath. You will probably do
this over and over and over throughout the next ten minutes.
Just keep breathing. Any time you have a thought, just recognize that you are thinking and then go
back