GROUND YOURSELF IN THE PRESENT MOMENT – STOP

Previously on Erin Thera-Blog, we defined mindfulness (find that blog here). 

Today, we’re going to explore a couple of ways to ground yourself in the present moment. 

STOP

S – Stop

T – Take a breath

O – Observe 

P – Proceed

I don’t know who came up with this acronym (I learned it from a mindful parenting class a long time ago), but it works. It helps remind us of ways to be more mindful in the present moment. 

S – Stop. This helps us remember to stop. To be mindful. And to be intentional about our behavior. Stopping when we are activated starts the process of mindfulness and presence. 

T – Take a breath. This is the time to ground yourself. Take a breath, look around the room and remind yourself that you are here now, not a hostage of your emotions. 

O – Observe. What are you feeling? What does it remind you of? What is being triggered? When we are activated, our prefrontal cortex goes offline and we are unable to think logically (more on that here). When we observe, we reactivate our prefrontal cortex. 

P – Proceed. Now we can move forward with intention. We can behave thoughtfully. We have choices.