Feel 1% Better

Self care is truly a marathon, not a sprint. It's human to want to speed up the process, to feel all better immediately, especially in moments that feel really tough. In those moments, it's so important to be kind to yourself. So what if you released some of that pressure to feel all better immediately, and instead simply asked yourself, "What would help me feel just 1% better?" It's an approach inspired by Kaizen, a Japanese productivity philosophy. Kaizen isn't about perfecting something overnight, it's about taking small incremental steps on a daily basis with a task or a project. It asks you to improve by just 1% each day. And we deserve to take the same approach with our emotional wellbeing, because it's really hard to feel all better immediately. But there are so many ways to feel 1% better, like stretching in the morning, or going for a walk, or even having a solo dance party. And with each little shift, you can make bigger strides in caring for yourself and healing. Today we're going to explore one tool that might make you feel 1% better, deep breathing. Deep breathing can help activate our parasympathetic nervous system, and that's the system that helps us relax, restore, and calm our minds. Let's begin. Find a comfortable position. (gentle music) You can be sitting with your feet planted on the ground, or your legs crossed, or maybe you feel more comfortable lying down. As you get comfortable, notice how your body feels. What little shifts can you make right now to relax and allow your body to settle even more? How can you make yourself 1% more comfortable? Maybe you can take some gentle twists to lengthen your spine a little bit more. Check in with your jaw and give yourself a little massage, allowing it to release. Roll your shoulders up and back, and let them soften down. What else needs a little shift in your body? Take the next few moments to show yourself that care. (gentle music) Now return to a comfortable position, and start to become aware of your breath. No need to change your breath, just become aware of it. Your breath is always here to steady you, and today we are going to practice lengthening and deepening our breath in small increments. We'll start with inhaling and exhaling on a count of four. Let's begin. Inhale through your nose for one, two, three, four, pause at the top of your inhale and exhale through your nose for one, two, three, four. Again, inhale through your nose for one, two, three, four, pausing at the top of your inhale and exhale through your nose for one, two, three, four. Now let's lengthen our inhales and exhales to a six count. Inhale through your nose for one, two, three, four, five, six, pause at the top of your inhale and exhale through your nose for one, two, three, four, five, six. Again, inhale through your nose,...