By Jessica Frank, BioMed Program Manager at the Marion Institute, is a certified mindfulness meditation and trauma-sensitive yoga teacher.

“A large percentage of what we think of when we talk about stress-related diseases are disorders of excessive stress-responses.” — Robert M. Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping

Stress is a fact of life. Stress—the so-called “bad” kind—has us ruminating, over-planning, constantly in a state of hyper-arousal, over-thinking about what we could’ve done differently, about what we should do in the future, about how we should’ve said this and not that, or worrying and obsessing about nearly everything. It’s no wonder the mind feels overloaded!

As a result, our bodies operate as if we’re being chased by lions all day, constantly triggering the stress response, pumping out cortisol and adrenaline. This non-stop hormone cocktail drip-drip-dripping around the clock wears down our immune system over time and leads to chronic illness and disease. Physiologically, our bodies are only meant to imbibe this evolutionary swill in brief bursts when we’re actually threatened.

Because we live in a culture of always doing something, our systems struggle to process and manage the relentless flood. The pace of 21st century life is not a sustainable one by any measure unless we balance it out. Unless we purposefully take time out to simply be. After all, we’re human beings, not human doings.

How do we achieve balance? One way is to incorporate mindfulness practices into everyday life. These practices can be as simple as taking one single deep breath right now as you’re reading this sentence, or establishing a regular daily meditation practice.

When talking about mindfulness, it’s important to distinguish between “informal” mindfulness practice and “formal” mindfulness practice. Formal means intentionally carving out time during the day to sit and focus your attention in a deliberate and friendly way on a particular object or “anchor.” For example, focusing on your breath, physical sensations, or sounds for the purpose of flexing your awareness muscle.

Informal mindfulness is making the conscious choice to be present when you realize that you’re lost in thought. Then, actively noticing what’s happening in the here and now. It may be the fact that you’re walking to the elevator, seeing the cars around you at the stoplight, eating a meal, speaking to another person, brushing your child’s hair, or enjoying a beautiful sunrise. The goal is to briefly take in what’s going on in the moment without all the added mental chatter and story-telling.

These intentional pauses interrupt the monkey-mind’s energy and encourage it to take a much-needed break. Both mindfulness practices (formal and informal) equate to developing our intention to pay attention.

Studies have shown that with consistency, mindfulness meditation increases self-awareness and compassion while decreasing anxiety and tamping down the stress response. Mindfulness acts as a disruptor in the brain, discouraging deep-seated habitual neuropathways. Over time, this practice can literally re-wire the brain! Not only that, the more you practice, the better the body is able to handle the natural release of adrenaline and cortisol when it’s truly needed.

Stress is a fact of life. But stress doesn’t have to become an unclimbable mountain. There are ways to reduce stress and ease the burden that it has on our bodies. Take a few moments and practice a mindful pause today!