STOP A FEW TIMES A DAY

S – Literally tell yourself ‘stop’ or imagine a stop sign in front of you

T – Take a deep breath. Baniabbasi says, “Tell your body - slow down, you don’t need to be running, you are safe. It’s not enough to tell it in your mind, you need to use your body’s language to put the brakes on.”

O – Observe what is going on in the present moment without judgement, without analysis, without labelling it as good or bad.

P – Proceed to respond consciously. “Not just when you’re stressed, but also when you’re calm – just take stock. Mindfulness was never be seen as a quick fix; it is a gradual process to be more conscious of the nature of your mind,” says Baniabbasi. Gentle alarms can help remind you as well.

Take breaks. “It can be as simple as pausing and having a coffee just because you enjoy that, or going for lunch with your colleagues or friends,” she says. Youtuber ‘Simple Happy Zen’ calls this a ‘silent, lovely moment’ that you can gift yourself everyday as well, in her video on slow living.