You know those days when you feel like you have been rapid breathing, running around and overwhelmed?
Yes I do too!
What if you have something super quick you could do to get you grounded and back to yourself.
What if you could turn off your intense feelings of overwhelm and settle your nervous system?
That would be awesome, right?
Well, here are 3 suggestions that can do just that.
Now, before you read them I want you to be prepared to hear a voice in your heads say, “Yeah, yeah, yeah these sound great, but they won’t work for my situation.”
You will say to yourself “my situation is really bad” or “my situation is actually terrible so these won’t work.”
This voice is the voice of resistance. This is the voice that we all have that keeps us from trying new things and practicing new strategies even if they will help.
Now, no shame here for having these thoughts.
Just notice them, give them an imaginal pat on the head and say, “I hear you, but I am going to try this anyway just to see how it goes.”
Try these tips for 5 days and see if you notice any change in your ability to reduce stress in the moment.
I know you can do it.
Please share with me how it goes.
Here are the 3 tips you have been waiting for:
- Stop what you are doing. Yes, just stop what you are doing for a minute and move your head. Move your head slowly up, down, left, and right. Focus on the sensations of your neck. Keep your eyes open and say what you see out loud.
- Stop what you are doing. Close your eyes and listen. Take a moment to listen to the sounds around you. Say out loud 5 sounds you hear. Listen for sounds inside the room and outside the room. If you are in a soundproof room (first of all, lucky you!) put on a song and listen for a specific word in the song. Listen to the whole song and pay attention to when you hear that word. Tally on a piece of paper how many times you hear this word.
- Stop what you are doing. Bring a loved person, pet or spiritual guide to mind. Imagine they have entered your space with the intention to bring you love, support and cheerleading. You can imagine what they might say to you when they see you in this state of stress or you can just imagine their loving presence. Please choose someone who is a cheerleader and who believes in your ability to handle anything that comes your way. The person we pick is essential for this exercise to succeed.
There you have it.
These three practices take you out of overwhelm and back in to the present moment.
These strategies help you bring your spiraling mind to a single focus which allows your nervous system to come out of high alert.
Try these and tell us what you think!
Photo by Matheus Natan from Pexels
