How to Reduce Overwhelm: The “Take 5” Exercise

Mindfulness is a lot more than seated, eyes closed meditation.

Some mindfulness exercises can be done with your eyes open, while walking, or even with other people. In fact, mindfulness offers us an enormous treasure chest of tools and strategies to help untangle anxious feelings so we can access calm and mental clarity.

Today, let’s try one together. It’s called Take 5. Here’s how it works:

1. Hold your left hand out. Put your right index finger on your wrist.
2. Slide your finger up the thumb while inhaling through the nose.
3. Slide your finger back down to the wrist, while exhaling through the month.
4. Repeat these steps on your other 4 fingers. Or do both hands. Enjoy!

You can use Take 5 at work, before you open Facebook, after you open Facebook. Anytime you want to settle an overstimulated mind — it’s a sweet exhale for your brain and heart.