This page includes tools, resources, and activities that you can explore to build stress management and mindfulness skills. These skills support your mental and overall well-being. Do you want support as you practice? Connect with a liveWELL Health Coach to get started.
Stress Buffers
Breathing exercises
- 1-minute box breathing video
- 2-minute breathing video
- Cyclic Sighing
- 7 breathing exercises for the body and mind
Progressive muscle relaxation
Stretching or movement
Mood Boosters
Listening to calming music
Spending time in nature
Journaling
Connecting with friends or pets
Mindful Pause with the S.T.O.P. Technique
Recognize signs of stress. STOP, pause, and check in with yourself. What is one thing you can do to support your well-being in the moment?
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is an awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, without judgement. - Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness is paying attention to your present moment experience with an attitude of openness and curiosity. - Mindful Leader
Explore getting started with mindfulness by stopping, pausing, and noticing throughout the day.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is the most researched mindfulness intervention and has many physical, mental, and emotional benefits for well-being. liveWELL partners with Brad Baldwin of Aperture to offer the 8-week program to University of Iowa faculty and staff in a 50% or greater, regular position who are referred by either a Health Coach or EAP.
What Mindfulness is and What it is Not
What Does the Research Say
Meditations
- 2-Minute Breathe Awareness Meditation
- James Happe: 5-Minute Breath Focus Meditation
- Meditation HQ: The 5 Minute Meditation
- Meditation HQ: 5 Minutes of Box Breathing
- Belinda Da Costa: 5-Minute Body Scan
- Chelsea Pottenger: 10-Minute Body Scan
- Dave Potter (Palouse Mindfulness): 20-Minute MBSR Body Scan
- Tara Brach: 10-Minute Body Scan and Breath Awareness Meditation
- Dave Potter (Palouse Mindfulness): 20-Minute Sitting Meditation
- Karen Jones (Mindful Leader):10-Minute Focused Attention Meditation
- 3- Minute practice by Dorsey Standish – Mastermind Meditate
- Everyday Speech: 6-Minute Mindful Stretching Break
- Pallavi Visvanathan: 10-Minute Mindful Stretching
- Sharon Salzberg: Lovingkindness Meditation 10-Minute Daily Insight Practice
- Kristin Neff Self-Compassion Meditations
- Greater Good Meditations
- Mindful Leader Guided Meditations
Resources
- UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center
- University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare, and Society
- Center for Healthy Minds - University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Mindful
- Mindfulness Meditations Tips from Jon Kabat-Zinn
Trainings
- 40-Day Online Mindfulness Meditation with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program with Palouse Mindfulness