How to STOP Stressing Out

Two-thirds of Americans say they need help for stress.

This study shows that even after just one session, mindfulness meditation can help. "Our results show a clear reduction in anxiety in the first hour after the meditation session, and our preliminary results suggest that anxiety was significantly lower one week after the meditation session,"

Here is a simple go-to mindfulness technique to allow you to experience the stress-relieving benefits of being mindful in your daily life. Try it!

STOP technique for anxiety and stress

Stop

Take a Breath

Observe — acknowledge and put a name to any feeling, thought or emotion

Proceed — being mindful of how you can improve your current experience

Remember it’s how we relate to stress that makes the difference. Most of us lead busy, often-time challenging lives. Stress seems inevitable in modern life. What we are doing is learning mindfulness techniques and training or minds to transform how stress makes us feel and our response to it.

You can make STOP even more effective by ingraining it. Access this mindfulness technique more easily by including it as a daily practice. Choose a certain time each day that you will take a breather and use STOP.

“We take care of the future best by taking care of the present now.” -Jon Kabat Zinn, PhD, is founding Executive Director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine