We’re already way off the starting line before even realising it – into February and back into our routines: bedtimes, school on time, what to put into the lunch box ... And if you are pregnant and navigating your way through that powerful journey, you’re likely caught up in your own question loop of, what choices are the right ones for me and my baby? Am I doing enough in preparation for baby? I need to work as much as I can now before baby arrives etc. It can become overwhelming. We are all different and we handle life situations differently. But for anyone, these five simple exercises can help to bring you back to the present moment and not be overwhelmed: 1. Bring your awareness back to your breath. Bring all your attention to your breathing, and when your mind goes off wandering, simply keep bringing it back to your breath. Do your best to remain focused just on your breath. 2. Focus on something you are grateful for. It can be anything – simply that you are alive, that you have a place to live, that you can see … Start with one and then aim to reach ten. 3. Touch a piece of fabric. Sit down and touch your clothing, or the chair you are sitting on, and bring all your attention to the sensations you are feeling – is it soft, velvety, smooth, hard? 4. Focus on something in front of you or outside the window. Again bring all your focus to something – a picture on the wall, a leaf moving outside in the breeze … Focus on the colour, the shape, the texture without having to physically feel it. 5. Pinch yourself. Literally pinch yourself! And feel the sensation that pinching feels like. It really helps to bring you back to the moment. Once you are back in the moment, MAKE SPACE for and ALLOW yourself to feel your feelings, without becoming overwhelmed. Observing them, as if you were observing traffic going past as you sit calmly. If you become overwhelmed, repeat the practice above.