The first mantra I ever learned was Stay on the Left, a mantra used by my parents to drive in New Zealand, where, of course, drivers need to stay on the left. Every time my parents got in the car, they would chant this to themselves, Stay on the left, the left, the left! They made me chant it with them too.

They were usually fine on straightaways, but when turning corners or pulling out of driveways, they became a bit unsure of themselves, fearful that their training on right-side driving would take over and they’d find themselves in the wrong lane.

Life seems like this too. We may be fine going along, doing our things, working our jobs, loving our people, but then, the rules change. We have to get along with a new boss with new expectations, we have to do a different task, or we have to redefine our skill set for a new profession. We may be fine on the straightaways, but adjustments in direction often require internal support. This is where the mantra comes in.

I used to do a lot of yoga in high school, from Lilias on PBS, at 6 a.m. She used the mantra of I am calm and relaxed, which is still my favorite mantra. I use it often, but more frequently in stressful situations during the workday. I simply repeat it to myself and keep breathing.

A mantra can be anything, a word, a sentence, a prayer. It is something you can summon to mind in times of stress and in order to relax. Here’s a short list of mantras that I’ve heard. (I’m going to limit myself to those in English.)

I am that I am.
I’m okay.
I Bow to the Light Within.
I am one with God.
I am a being of Light and I rid my being of all negativity.

Does anyone have any mantras for the workday (or beyond)?