The next time you find yourself in a situation where you feel ‘exhausted’ or ‘rushed off your feet,’
press ‘pause.’

Begin by acknowledging this as great opportunity to practise a new skill which will bring you peace and improve your resilience and ability to cope with stress.

With that acknowledgement there can always be gratitude. Being grateful affects our body chemistry and alters our outlook. It attracts abundance.

Now sit for one small moment amongst your tasks and deadlines, whether they be reports that need filing or fractious children in need of lunch or entertainment. However overwhelmed you feel, sit amongst them and, in that pause, create a small space for you to become aware of your own breath.

Now slow and deepen your breath and allow the air to go right to the bottom of your lungs.
Allow all the sounds and demands of your busy day to become part of this experience. Let them serve as your teachers. They can still go on around you while you slowly and deeply breathe.

Notice how everything begins to slow down.

Notice what happens in your body.

Are any of your muscles beginning to soften? Maybe the shoulders? Perhaps you can suggest it to them? How does that feel?

Notice that in this small space you have created, everything external is just as it was. Nothing has changed. The tasks are the tasks. They are made no worse by your creating a little space. By your deep, slow breathing. By the softening of your shoulders and jaw.

You deserve peace.

Notice how good that feels.

Your tasks will wait for you while you replenish your energy in this way and as you learn this as a way of being, they will seem to require less effort. You will be approaching them from a refreshed perspective.

You have your tasks to do in the present moment, but you can also create peace and undertake to do them joyfully.