The Connection Between Mindfulness and Emotional Agility

Taking time to pause throughout the day can help you become more aware and intentional.

Making time for mindfulness during a busy day can help boost your mood and maintain perspective, allowing you to exercise your emotional agility when stress arises. 

Emotional agility isn’t about avoiding stress or suppressing your emotions — it’s about allowing yourself to identify those emotions and where they’re coming from without allowing them to overshadow everything else.

When it comes to incorporating mindfulness into your day, small steps go a long way. These brief moments of stillness enable you to respond to stress more effectively and maintain emotional balance.

Here are a few Microsteps that can help:

When you wake up, don’t start your day by looking at your phone.

Instead of scrolling through email or social media, take at least one minute to breathe and set your intentions for the day.

When you’re stressed, think of one person you’re grateful for and imagine giving them a hug.

The visualization paired with the moment of gratitude will help you feel more calm and joy.

Pause before answering an email.

Before responding to emails, take a moment to breathe and read the message mindfully. This pause can help you respond thoughtfully rather than reactively.

When you’re stressed, take a moment to notice the physical symptoms you experience.

Identifying how you manifest your stress is an important step toward taking action to address it.

Take a deep breath each time you move from one task to the next.

If you don’t have time for a longer meditation practice, a micro-meditation is a simple way to integrate more moments of deep, mindful breathing into your day.

When you’re feeling stressed or stuck, pause and write down how you’re feeling.

 Taking a short break, grabbing a pen and expressing your emotions on paper can help you lower anxiety.

When you go on a walk, pause to take in your surroundings.

Taking a walk outside where you reflect on the scene around you can be a restorative experience and help you make movement more mindful. Focus on what you see around you, rather than making a phone call or listening to a podcast.