Sassi Ochoa, a CIJ clarity catalyst and transformational trainer, embraces her purpose of service-driven living. Through various roles as a blogger, coach, runner and wanderlust enthusiast, she embodies diverse forms of leadership, inspiring others to explore their own paths of empowerment.
Mindfulness is much more than meditation; it’s a way of life anchored in to be fully present in the here and now. As a mindfulness coach, I sometimes find it challenging to explain the concept because, beyond the theory, it’s a continual practice and a journey of self-discovery. With each session, my understanding deepens and evolves. At this stage of my life, I am particularly focused on the physical benefits that mindfulness is bringing me. One of its core principles is the concept of impermanence.
In this article, I want to share how cultivating mindful awareness can help your brain achieve harmony, balancing chaos on one end and rigidity on the other.
I have no energy to start my day
Mindful action: Begin your day with clarity
Do you wake up feeling drained and exhausted, even after a full night?
The first surge of cortisol in your body happens right when your alarm goes off, abruptly interrupting your sleep. Add to that any overexposure to screens the night before or the weight of work stress, and it’s completely normal to feel low on energy. Before reaching for your phone, try the following routine.
Here’s a simple practice to do 5 to 30 minutes after waking up while still lying in bed:
First, notice your body. Is it tense or relaxed, rested or still fatigued?
Next, observe your mind. What’s happening in there? Is it replaying a dream, planning the day, complaining, or rehearsing conversations? Are you feeling emotions like excitement, anxiety, frustration, or stress? Bingo! This is the moment to identify where to focus today—choose one emotion that stands out.
Use your body as a focal point for contemplation. If you don’t feel fully rested and just thinking about your day causes tension, this is the perfect time to find one positive thought that helps relax your mind. This thought will be your anchor throughout the day, giving you relaxation and calm in your body when needed.
Now, stay lying down and alternate between relaxing and gently tensing different body parts, imagining healing energy flowing with each breath. You can start from your head and move to your feet, or vice versa. Guide your breath to areas of tension, discomfort, or numbness. If you’re carrying high work stress, this progressive relaxation can deeply impact you before you get out of bed.
Take a moment to express gratitude for your body, which has awakened to carry you through the day’s activities.
Repeat the cycle: observe, breathe, invite a positive thought, notice its impact on your body, and embrace the relaxation.
And if you’re truly convinced of the benefits of mindful mornings, consider adding yoga to your routine. Any form of yoga will support your health. I practice morning yoga at least three times a week, and I’ve found it makes a remarkable difference, especially on hectic days."
I am feeling depressed or anxious
Mindful action: Learn to breathe
Feel your sadness without trying to hide or suppress it. Feel it as deeply as you can, letting the tears flow.
Breathe out through your heart, and with your hands, bring the feeling of sadness to the area of your heart. At the same time, visualize a sky behind you, either golden or deep blue. Continue inhaling your sadness through your heart and into the sky behind you. Exhale, imagining that you’re breathing out the sky’s color through your heart and into the room, allowing the sadness to fade. Repeat this process several times.
In this way, you are not resisting your sadness or anxiety; you are using your heart as a portal to let the sadness dissolve into the vastness of the sky.
With this practice, you will notice how your emotion transforms into compassion, love for yourself, and love for others.
My job feels uninspiring
Mindful action: Take on a yogi’s perspective to find meaning even in the most challenging tasks
Do you long for work that inspires you? How can you move from simply doing tasks to finding meaning in them? Perhaps you think, “With the economy as it is, I just have to do whatever it takes and put up with whatever comes.” But what if you could change that perspective here and now without quitting?
Practicing the yoga of action means doing everything with precision, full attention, and detachment from the outcome. In your work environment, you get distracted, influenced by negative conversations, or drained by a challenging atmosphere. This is a perfect opportunity to approach your work with a mindful presence. The quality of your attention helps you overcome resistance and manage distractions. When boredom, distraction, or resistance arise, before stepping away, ask yourself: If this were the last day of my life and this task was my final opportunity to give my best, how would I want to do it?
Release attachment to the outcome. “Do not set your heart on the results of your actions,” says Krishna. This teaching reminds us that when you focus on the act itself rather than on a specific outcome, you’re less likely to feel anxious or disappointed when things don’t go as planned.
Think of yourself as a servant. Serving is less about the work itself and more about the attitude you bring to it. Service means doing something not solely for personal gain but to be useful to others. This perspective may bring new meaning to your work, and gratitude can follow. This sense of service can be applied anywhere, adding purpose even to the most mundane tasks.
Make your work a gift. Remember, you’re making an impact daily, even if it’s hard to see in the moment. Believe it, “you matter."
My family drives me crazy
Mindful action: Approach your next family gathering as an opportunity to practice mindfulness
Find the beauty within the beast! During this gathering, challenge yourself to open your heart to a family member you usually find difficult to tolerate. This might mean focusing on their best qualities or recognizing their vulnerability and seeing them with compassion. Look for their greatness, acknowledge their pain, and observe how a shift in perspective can transform your attitude toward them.
Return to your center… Stay aware of your reactions within the family circle. Notice what emotions come up, how your body responds, and the thoughts that pass through your mind. Observe what you say and do: Are you reactive? Withdrawn? Feeling anger, envy, or judgment? Or are you being authentic and friendly? Just notice the thoughts that catch you, then return to your center. Breathe deeply and decide to make this moment beneficial for yourself and others.
Cultivate the opposite thought… Observe any reactive thoughts and try to reframe them. For instance, “I can’t stand how Freddy chews” could become “Freddy’s eating habits are amusing.” Or, “These kids are so spoiled and noisy” could turn into “My nieces and nephews have so much energy.” Even if it feels forced, this effort to change your thoughts will positively impact you by calming your stress hormones. That alone is a win.
I have too much stuff
Mindful action: Learn how to declutter both your inner and outer life
Do you accumulate things? Nobody knows what they have until a move happens. Believe it, I’ve moved so many times that I know what I’m talking about. Sometimes, we can’t realize essential stuff, meaningful memories, or replaceable gadgets.
Maintaining a clear physical space around you supports mental clarity, health, and joy. And the reverse is true, too. The way to create lasting order in your outer life -in your home, your schedule, and the way you use resources- comes from clearing out your inner landscape and refocusing your priorities. According to Erin Rooney Doland, editor-at-large for the popular Unclutterer blog, decluttering is not the goal. “Decluttering is the process by which I can better focus on my goals,” she says.
When deciding whether to keep or discard something, ask yourself: Is it beautiful? Is it useful? Is it significant? Have I enjoyed it in the past year?
Then, think about your purpose in decluttering, write it down, and post it somewhere visible. It could be to have a more organized living space so you spend less time looking for your glasses, or it could be a serene area to practice yoga.
Apply the “one in, one out” rule: If you bring something new into your home, eliminate something else. Remember this idea: “It’s possible to accept the essence of a gift but let go of the object.”
Finally, if you don’t have it already try to get financial clarity by opening those bills, assessing your income, expenses, and any debt, and creating a plan, which involves thinking about what is most important to you -not what mainstream culture says is most important. Is it paying for a private education for your kids? Is it being able to afford to travel to exotic places? When you get your financial priorities straight, it will be easier to recognize the things- like that every afternoon $5 coffee at Starbucks- that are no problem to give up.
If you feel that these practices were useful for you and you would like to go deeper into the practice of mindful moments, register in the Clarity Catalyst Program 2025
Read more from Sassi Ochoa
Sassi Ochoa, Mindfulness & Transformational Coach
Sassi Ochoa combines 15 years of successful experience in the insurance sales industry with 5 years of holistic leadership experience, spanning both professional and personal domains.
Committed to providing Latin people with the same transformative educational opportunities she has experienced translated Stanford University's prestigious CIJ Clarity Catalyst program into Spanish during the 2020 pandemic, facilitating it in her community's mother language since then. Additionally, she created the virtual workshop "Leadership is written with H", designed to connect managers and collaborators with their commitment, emotional competences, and the significance of teamwork.
