Micro-contemplations: One-minute practices that reset your nervous system

Suppose you’re halfway through a busy workday with the emails piling up, looped deadlines, continuous ringing of the phone and suddenly you notice your shoulders inching upward with a strong back pain, feeling a bit breathless and a mild continuous headache. Maybe at that time you wouldn’t have noticed the issues that have creeped in your life, but you need to pay attention to what is happening around you. Your body is at the alarm and this time you must not snooze it up, because if you do that you are going to lose your mental peace.

If you are not able to spare a continuous 45 minute or 60 minutes break, that’s fine. You don’t need a 45-minute yoga class or an hour-long meditation retreat to reset. Sometimes, one mindful minute is what is more than sufficient and this is known as micro contemplation. It helps to send your whole nervous system the signal: You’re safe now and you can relax. Even though you feel like this one minute is way too less and short to make a difference, it actually makes sense if you follow it consistently. Why? Because neuroscience shows that quick interruptions to stress patterns can prevent escalation, improve focus, and even protect long-term well-being.

You should understand your body to grow well. Did you know? Our body runs on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that witnesses constant shifts between the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) modes. So, when we’re stressed, the sympathetic system kicks in resulting in an adrenaline spike, heart rate climbs and breath quickens. At that moment what is much required is the micro contemplation. They are deliberate pauses that nudge the ANS toward parasympathetic activation. In as little as 60 seconds, you can lower blood pressure, release muscle tension, and reduce cortisol. Here are five powerful micro- contemplation practices which you can try—

A one-minute breath also works if you do it in this way, it should be and continue with the process. Sit or stand comfortably with your spine tall. Inhale gently through your nose for a slow count of four. Hold the breath softly for two counts and exhale slowly through lips for a count of six. Repeat it for one minute. This process will help you downshift your heart rate and blood pressure quickly, making it ideal in moments of sudden anxiety.

This classical method helps you pull your awareness out of mental chatter and into the physical present. This process is extremely useful when anxiety feels overwhelming or disorientation creeps in. In this practice what you need to do is—Notice five things you can see, notice four things you can physically touch in your surroundings. Notice three things you can hear and notice two things you can smell. In the final step, notice the one thing you can taste. This process helps you stabilize when you feel chaotic.

This is a kind of physical exercise in which you are supposed to gulp deeply and shrug your shoulders toward your ears. On a slow exhale, let your shoulder completely drop, releasing off the tension. At the same time, uncurl your fingers, spread your palms open wide and allow your jaw to relax. You can notice the release through your upper body.

Expressing gratitude isn’t an easy task or something you take casually. If you do that even for a minute it will channel a source of positive energy in your entire body. Close your eyes for a moment. Take a slow breath in and out. Then think about the one thing or the instance that makes you happy and you’ re grateful for that. Hold that thought, visualizing the details and sensations for the rest of the minute. Expressing gratitude enables you to activate parts of the brain associated with dopamine and serotonin.

A one-minute concentration or a fixated gaze on a single point allows you to regulate the nervous system, easing hyper- alertness. After the gaze allows your eyes to soften, letting it expand your peripheral vision. Breathe naturally as you take in the surrounding space for 60 seconds.

Remember, your nervous system and brain is the central processing unit of your body. You need to keep guard of it. So, next time your breath shortens, your shoulders tense or go stiff, or your mind starts racing, try indulging yourself in any one of the activities. You yourself can figure out the difference, so start with a single small step and continue it.