“The Power of a 60-Second Brain Break”
Mindfulness exercises can be easily integrated into your day to promote focus and reduce stress. Studies indicate that short mindfulness practices can increase productivity by up to 20%. A mini habit to get into to repeat several times during your day is to take a deep breath, close your eyes, and reset your mind for just one minute every hour. Stress gets reduced; your creativity and focus are enhanced.
Try Box Breathing, a simple exercise to increase your mental clarity: inhale for a silent count to 4; then hold for a count of 4; exhale for another count of 4; and finally, pause for a count of 4 … REPEAT!
Now, your turn. You’ve read the above. What will you do next? How about pausing and taking a deep breath? Close your eyes and let your shoulder relax.


Dr. Judith Briles started writing notes to her classmates in first grade … and got into “disruptive trouble” from her teachers. She’s now the author of 49 books and counting, still being a disrupter. Her books have won over 57 book awards and been Amazon bestsellers. She’s also the Director of San Francisco chapter of the Women’s National Book Association. You can follow her professional side at www.TheBookShepherd.com where she works with writers to become published authors. Listen in to her weekly podcast: AuthorU: Your Guide to Book Publishing at https://bit.ly/AuthorUPodcast
©2026 Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd™ All Rights Reserved

