Mindfulness can help you manage stress, pain and your overall mental health. Practicing mindfulness sounds simple, but it can be difficult to remember to do it. Use the STOP tool to help you remember to be mindful throughout your day.

(S)TOP
(T)AKE A BREATH
(O)BSERVE
(P)ROCEED

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TRANSCRIPTION

Stop for mindfulness.
Lately, we often hear how helpful mindfulness can be for stress, pain, and our overall mental health. Especially when we're living with chronic mental health or physical
illness.
Practicing mindfulness might sound simple, but it can be hard to remember at times. Here's a simple tool to help you remember to be mindful throughout your day and that is to STOP. Stop. Take a breath. Observe what's going on around you and inside of you, and then proceed.
Remembering to stop will allow you to respond to your environment instead of reacting to it. It's about being there and being aware of what you are actually doing. Choose one thing each day that you often do without thinking. This could be brushing your teeth,
eating lunch or walking. Pick just one ctivity to start.
When the time comes to do this activity, do it mindfully. Remember to stop. Take a
breath. Allow yourself this breath. And continue but pay attention to the activity or the
act itself. Observe it with curiosity. What is the experience like? This can be noticing what's going on around you or inside of you.
Are there any emotions present? What body sensations do you notice? Maybe your breathing changes or you notice muscle tension. It may help to focus on your senses. Your sense of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. Be curious about what you sense. Even if it's unpleasant, be kind and friendly towards what you notice. Open up. Accept it as part of the experience, even if you don't like it.
There's no right or wrong. Just noticing what's happening in the moment. If you find yourself thinking of other things, notice that thought for a moment and then come back to the task at hand.
Mindfulness takes practice. You're bound to get distracted. Just let any and all things that you notice be there. And now proceed. Think of how best to care for yourself in this moment and let this guide your decisions as you go into your day.You can practice this type of mindfulness, anytime, anywhere and under any circumstance. Just stop. Take a breath. Observe and proceed.