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Stressbusting Exercise

By Irene Becker

Here is a little exercise I call "The Pause," that you can do as often as you need or like to get rid of fear/anxiety/stress, and get back in touch with the power within.

You can do "The Pause" almost anywhere, and it only takes a couple of minutes. The benefit of putting your brain into an alpha state even for a very brief period of time, is documented. Cultivating your ability to do "The Pause" means trying this exercise consistently three times a day, until you can master it and use it whenever you want to recharge, reconfigure and reboot your best self.


  1. Go somewhere private where you can remain undisturbed for a few minutes, or close your office door.
  2. Close your eyes, breathe in through your mouth (counting to eight) and out through your nose (more quickly, to the count of six). Make sure to breathe deeply from your diaphragm (if you are breathing correctly your stomach should appear to go out when you are breathing in).
  3. With each breath let go of any tension or stress that you are feeling. Just push out every feeling of anger, frustration, judgment, worry, fear or guilt with every breath. Breathe all the negative feelings out, visualize them leaving you and feel a renewed sense of calm.
  4. When you have purged yourself of negative thoughts/stressors that are toxic to your health and wellbeing, do only one thing: CONCENTRATE ON YOUR BREATH GOING IN AND OUT. Do not think of anything, push any thoughts away, just concentrate on your breath. Continue doing the pause for three more cycles.
  5. When you have evacuated all your negative and fearful feelings through your breath, take a moment to think about the happiest moment in your life. What were you doing, where were you standing, how were you feeling? Remember every single detail of your happiest moment by recalling colors, textures, visual images, sounds, and actions. Hold that memory, grab on to every detail and now let what you were feeling, the joy, the happiness the ecstasy fill your mind.
  6. Hold on to that feeling of joy and feel it infuse every fiber of your body with positive energy. Hold on to that feeling and relive your joy.
  7. When you are ready, take a couple of cleansing deep breaths, open your eyes and go back to your work, your day or whatever you were doing.
  8. You have just spend two or three minutes doing "The Pause." If it was difficult, try it again until you can get the energy of "The Pause." If your first pause worked, do a couple of more pauses today and let the joy and the power within BE WITH YOU!

Copyright © 2004-2007 Irene Becker
Irene Becker is founder of Just Coach It! Learn about her range of teleseminars and Quickstep single sessions, which make such ideal gifts. Email for more info., or call Irene at 905-889-0940.


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