Everyone has their preferred mindfulness acronym. Most of them have the same overall message: take a breath, gain some perspective, and move forward with wisdom. But TABGSPAMFWW doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. In my time writing Inside Meditation, I've come across plenty of acronyms that look to boil down some of the complex ideas about the inner-workings of the mind into a more digestible format. Below are a few I've found particularly helpful. As usual, your mileage may vary — take from this list what works for you and discard what doesn't.

STOP: Stop, Take some breaths, Observe, Proceed

This acronym is less for meditation as it is for in-the-moment escape from anger or frustration. It's one of the few acronyms out there that uses negative language instead of positive, but it has the effect of encouraging the disruption of unhelpful, ruminative thinking.

Let's say you're in a group of friends (this would either be some time in the future, or outdoors, masked, and 10 feet apart) and someone makes an off-hand comment that gets under your skin. Everyone else laughs and doesn't seem to think anything of it, but you're secretly seething. You want to retort and shut them down à la George Costanza. But, is that really the best way to handle the situation?

STOP teaches that we can immediately step back from whatever we're thinking in the moment, take a few deep breaths, and simply be. Some individuals might do the old trick of counting to 10 to let anger subside. Once the heightened feeling has worn off, we can Observe what's happening in our bodies and in our minds. What do we think about what's happened? Is it possible that the comment wasn't intended as a slight? Or, even if it was, what other outcomes might there be?

Finally, in perhaps only 30 seconds, we're able to Proceed, to approach the situation differently than we might have in a state of heightened emotion.

RAIN — Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Non-identification (or Nurture)

RAIN is probably the acronym I've referenced the most in Inside Meditation, and that's purely because it's what works best for me. I like that I can do it in the middle of the workday (like STOP) or I can save it for my daily meditation, using it as a structure to parse through my more difficult emotions.

Structurally, it's very similar to STOP, but the intention is less about breaking away from an immediate, negative reaction. RAIN is what I use to explore an emotion that often sticks with me throughout the day, like anxiety or regret. Instead of Stop, we start with Recognize, simply seeing the feeling for what it is, and then Allowing it to be present, not pushing it away like we instinctively want to.

Investigate is very similar to the Observe in STOP and I feel like it's the most open-ended of the letters. It's the space for us to see the ramifications of letting an emotion run wild in our minds. We might notice reactions in our bodies, or that the mind jumps from painful memory to painful memory. It's our space to see how our mind naturally operates, before letting it go.

Finally, the N. It stands for "Non-identification" in Michele McDonald's original use of the acronym. This means we're able to distance ourselves from the emotion once we've investigated it. If the emotion is anxiety, we can step back and realize that it's simply a manifestation of our own mind when dealing with certain obstacles. In this version of the "N" we can move from "I am anxious" to "I feel anxiety."

However, the "N" has evolved over time, and is now most often listed as "Nurture," thanks to Tara Brach. She asks us to extend ourselves warmth and self-compassion when dealing with the moment. If we remind ourselves that we're loved and worthy of love, then the non-identification follows naturally through a state she calls "After the RAIN."

LOST — Lost in thoughts, Offer loving-kindness, See and smile, Take a deep breath

This one comes from a 2014 TEDx talk from Dr. Kasim Al-Mashat. The "L" stands for Lost in thoughts but it's similar to the "S" in STOP and the "R" in RAIN. You have to recognize you're lost in a thought-spiral before you can extricate yourself and move on. Offer loving-kindness elevates the Nurture step from RAIN, and gives us a chance to be compassionate as we deal with any element of suffering.

We then See pain or discomfort for what it is, and Smile, knowing that the mind has the capacity to do this. Finally, Take a deep breath, and remember that we all have similar experiences like this, that you're not alone with your pain or suffering, however it's manifesting. Al-Mashat talks about how this process can help us express more gratitude for what we have in life. The key seems to be approaching one's suffering with loving-kindness whenever possible and seeing how we're all connected in terms of the mind's operations.

PEACE — Pause, Exhale, Acknowledge, Choose, Engage

PEACE was developed by Dr. Amy Saltzman, and is intended to be used by kids and teenagers in frustrating situations. The "P" and the "E," Pause and Exhale, are similar to the "S" and "T" in STOP and the "R" in RAIN. Saltzman says that Exhale doesn't necessarily just have to be about the breath, though. It's more of a way of physically expressing your emotion. If you're frustrated, you can groan. If you're distraught, you can cry. The "E" is your place to let it all out.

Once that's over, it can be easier to "A," Acknowledge the reality of the situation. This is another version of the "A" in RAIN, allowing the pain to be present. In PEACE, it's referring specifically to the circumstances that may be causing the pain in the first place — a relationship ending, a stressful situation at work, or pandemic-related insecurity.

Once the mind has gone through this process and settled, it should then be easier to Choose and Engage. We can look at the situation with perspective and determine the best course of action. Beneficially, we can have a calm and quiet mind that doesn't get in our way as we turn from internal resolve to external action.

I like that PEACE finishes with Engage, since it encourages us to think outside of our own minds and focus on the good we can do in the world. We aren't just seeking more equanimity for ourselves — we're doing it so that we're kinder and more empathetic with others, and likely to pursue more positive action as a result.

HALT — Hunger, Anger, Loneliness, Tiredness

This last one isn't a pathway to inner calm, but it details the obstacles you might face along the way. If you're feeling any of the above, it might be the thing that's making your emotional suffering worse.

If you can address these before sitting down to meditate, address them. If not, simply be aware of what's going on in your mind and body — it can make your session that much smoother. Some things can't be addressed in the moment. Tiredness pretty much only has one antidote; addressing loneliness is a long-term commitment. But, let those feelings sit there and be aware of what might be pressing down on you emotionally. Accept it without judgment and it won't only be easier to start meditating, you'll be doing it already.