How a sticker inspired self-love and a return to the present moment. LoveSelf’s contributor Beth Ricanati, MD offers a simple practice for mindfulness and self-love.
We all need friendly reminders sometimes. I want to share a great reminder that I learned: a reminder to take a deep breath and allow my best self to shine. How? With the help of a little blue dot. You place one little blue dot sticker anywhere you need a reminder to take a deep breath and return to self-love.
You know what I’m talking about…those little stickers that come in a variety of colors from any supply store. They are packaged in those skinny strips so you can just peel one off at a time.
Perhaps you need to place a sticker on your mirror to remind yourself how beautiful you are. Maybe place one on a snack cabinet door to remind yourself that your body loves raw nuts. Stick a happy dot on the refrigerator to remind you to add awesome greens to your dinner.
It works! I couldn’t believe it, but it actually works. For a while after learning about this, I kept a strip of blue dots with me at work, doling them out as needed. My favorite place: my desktop computer. Every time I sat back down at my desk I was reminded to return to the present moment and breath.
I would take 2-3 slow breaths, inhaling and exhaling to the count of four and most importantly at that time, pausing. In just pausing, I was able to be mindful of what I was doing at that moment – and this simple act helped to refocus me, to ground me, and keep me present.
Why does this work? Our breath is something that we have with us all the time; something that keeps us alive – a built-in tool to help us relax, to be present and focused. We can modulate our breathing – hence, mindful breathing – and therefore modulate our body’s reaction to it. If you are stressed and your fight-or-flight response (sympathetic nervous system) kicks in, there is a pretty good chance that your breaths are shallow and rapid. Conversely, when you are relaxed, your rest-and-digest response kicks in (parasympathetic nervous system) and you are able to breathe more deeply and slowly. Your tense shoulders will drop back into place, your clenched jaw will unclench; your fisted palms will relax ~ in other words, relaxed breathing = relaxed muscles and a happier mind!
It takes practice though. Just like going from casual jogging to running a 10K. Mindful breathing is the same way. The benefit: when confronted with a stressful situation, you’ve got a built-in therapy. And just think, it can all start with a little blue dot!
I want you to place dots all over your kitchen: on your refrigerator, on your cabinets, maybe even on your counters. I want you to place them anywhere that you need a reminder to be mindful. Looking at the dot is a visual reminder to breathe and treat yourself lovingly.
Send us a picture of your favorite place for the blue dot!
