Two Simple Mindfulness Exercises: S.T.O.P. and R.A.I.N.

These days, it can seem like we’re always working, even when we’re not at the office. Below are two simple mindfulness exercises to help you stay in the present moment even when you’re in the elevator or at lunch, but especially during particularly stressful moments or when you are feeling overwhelmed.

Exercise 1: S.T.O.P.

S: Stop. Just take a momentary pause, no matter what you’re doing.

T: Take a breath. Feel the sensation of your own breathing, which brings you back to the present moment.

O: Observe. Acknowledge what is happening, for good or bad, inside you or out. Just note it.

P: Proceed. Having briefly checked in with the present moment, continue with whatever it was you were doing.

Exercise 2: R.A.I.N.

R: Recognize. Acknowledge what is happening, just noting it in a calm and accepting manner.

A: Accept. Allow life to be just as it is, without trying to change it right away, and without wishing it were different somehow.

I: Investigate. See how it feels, whether it is making you upset or happy, giving you pleasure or pain, just note it.

N: Non-Identification. Realize that the sensations you are feeling make for a fleeting experience, one that will soon pass. It isn’t who you are.

Perhaps the simplest thing to do is simply find moments to come back to the present moment throughout the day. Mindfulness isn’t just cultivated by long stretches spent sitting on a meditation cushion. Short moments, many times throughout the day, can have a profound effect on our disposition.

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