Listen or Download Article Audio

---

A simple self-regulation practice for adults, teachers, and students

Do you wish you had more energy? You are not alone! It’s 1 p.m., you still have a few hours of work left, and the pull of caffeine feels overwhelming. It’s so tempting to grab another coffee or soda.

I totally understand.

As a longtime third-grade teacher, I remember those afternoons well. Lunch was over, the students were getting restless, I was trying to shift everyone into the next lesson, and I could feel my own energy slipping right along with theirs. Even now, as a mom of college-age daughters, I see the same pattern in a different way. They’ll call or text between classes, assignments, work, and everything else they are juggling, and sometimes what they need most is not another push to keep going. They need a moment to reset.

We tend to rely on things that give us only a temporary boost. The good news is that another cup of coffee isn’t the only way to respond to an afternoon slump. Sometimes a brief reset can help us notice what our minds and bodies need before we decide what to do next.

Why Do We Hit an Afternoon Slump?

We all know that physical exercise, like walking, running, or biking, can help boost energy. But our minds and bodies also benefit from intentional pauses. We are busy all day, and in order to function well, we sometimes need to slow down, notice what our bodies are telling us, and give ourselves a chance to recharge.

What is a Body Awareness Reset?

A body awareness reset simply means bringing your attention to different areas of your body, one at a time, and noticing where you may be holding tension. There is nothing you have to force or fix. The goal is simply to notice, relax where you can, and give your body a chance to reset.

Do this after lunch or in the middle of the afternoon when you would normally reach for that midday pick-me-up.

I have always loved this simple body awareness reset. You can do it in as little as one minute, and it can help you notice tension, relax your body, and prepare your mind for what comes next.

This is also a great whole child development strategy to use with students. In my classroom, I often noticed that the students did not need more instruction in the middle of a restless afternoon. They needed a brief reset first. A minute of breathing, stretching, or noticing how their bodies felt could help change the tone of the next lesson.

How to Do A 1-Minute Body Awareness Reset

• Begin in a comfortable seated position, place both feet on the floor and allow your spine to feel naturally tall. Let your shoulders and arms relax, with your hands resting comfortably.
• Close your eyes if that feels comfortable, or simply lower your gaze. Notice the natural rhythm of your breathing for three slow breaths.
• Take a deeper breath in, then exhale with a gentle sigh. 
• Bring your attention to your head. Notice your scalp, your forehead, and the muscles around your eyes.
• Notice your face. Your eyebrows. Your cheeks. Your mouth. Your jaw. The jaw is a place where many of us carry tension without even realizing it.
• Move your attention to your neck and throat. Notice how they feel.
• Now notice your shoulders, another common place for stress to settle. See if you can let them drop away from your ears.
• Bring your attention down your arms. Notice your upper arms, elbows, forearms, hands, and fingers.
• Move your attention to your belly. Take one slow breath and notice how your belly moves.
• Notice your hips and the way they are supported by the chair or floor.
• Move down into your legs. Notice your thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet, and toes.
• Now take a moment to notice your whole body at once. Is anything different from when you began? Maybe you feel more relaxed. Maybe you feel more alert. Maybe you simply notice where you were holding tension.
• Imagine your body recharging and preparing for the rest of your day.
• When you are ready, gently move your fingers and toes, open your eyes if they were closed, and notice how you feel.

Why Pausing Can Support Self-Regulation

Brief pauses give us an opportunity to notice physical and emotional signals before deciding what to do next. For adults and children, that might mean recognizing tension, fatigue, hunger, restlessness, or overwhelm and choosing a strategy—such as movement, breathing, water, food, or a short break—that supports what they need in that moment.

One thing I have learned both as a teacher and as a mother is that we are often quick to tell children, and ourselves, to keep going.

Finish the assignment. Get to the next class. Answer the email. Make dinner. Push through.

But sometimes the most productive thing we can do is pause.

I have seen this with my own daughters in college. There are times when one of them calls feeling completely overwhelmed by everything she has to accomplish. My instinct as a mom is to start solving the problem. Make the list. Prioritize the tasks. Give advice.

But just recently I have learned to ask a different question first: 

Have you eaten? 

Have you taken a break? 

What does your body need right now?

Those questions may seem simple, but they are part of self-regulation.

How Teachers Can Use Body Awareness Resets With Students

The same is true for children in the classroom. Before asking a student to focus harder, it can help to give them an opportunity to notice what they need. Maybe it is movement. Maybe it is a few slow breaths. Maybe it is water, a stretch, or simply sixty quiet seconds before beginning again.

Social-emotional learning and whole child development are not about removing every stressful moment from the day. They are about helping children, and adults, recognize what is happening inside themselves and develop tools for responding in healthy ways.

A body awareness reset is one of those tools.

So the next time you hit that afternoon slump, before automatically reaching for another coffee or energy drink, give your mind and body one minute to reset.

Pause. Breathe. Notice. Recharge.

Before You Reach for Another Coffee, Reset

Sometimes the energy we need doesn’t come from adding something more. 

Sometimes it comes from giving ourselves permission to stop for just a moment.

---