“You must learn to heed your senses. Humans use but a tiny percentage of theirs. They barely look, they rarely listen, they never smell, and they think that they can only experience feelings through their skin. But they talk, oh, do they talk.”

Michael Scott (Irish writer)

That’s right. Our minds never stop chattering, but we can disengage from the chatter by heeding to our senses. It is also an effective technique to reduce stress and anxiety instantly. If you ever feel the need to break from the thoughts that run through your mind, give this exercise a try!

The 5 Senses Countdown

– Pause for a moment.

Find yourself a calm comfortable space to fully participate with your 5 senses.

1. The SIGHT Phase – 5 Senses Countdown

In the first of the 5 senses, we are going to utilize our sight.
First, take a deep breath.

Next, look around and notice FIVE things that you can see.

The floor, table, curtains, trees, animals, anything you see is okay.

You can say them out loud or silently in your head. With each of the five sights, pause to take them in completely. 

2. The TOUCH Phase – 5 Senses Countdown

Take another deep breath.
Next in the 5 senses countdown, we will be using touch.

Notice FOUR things that you can feel in contact with your body.

For example; your watch against your wrist, your trousers against your legs, your feet on the ground, or your back against the chair.

Note them out loud or in your head, and rest your attention with each sensation for a few deep breaths.

3. The HEARING Phase – 5 Senses Countdown

The next step in the five senes countdown utilizes our hearing.
First, breathe deeply as you bring attention to your ears.

Then, listen carefully and notice THREE things that you can hear.

For instance: the sound of the wind, birds chirping outside, the hum of appliances, cars running, etc.

Listen and notice things in the background that you normally wouldn’t pay any attention to. As you listen to each sound, note the unique characteristics of the different tones and patterns.

4. The SMELL Phase – 5 Senses Countdown

As you take another deep breath, concentrate on the air going through your nostrils.
The next phase in the 5 senses countdown focuses on smell.

Notice TWO things you can smell.

Bring attention to scents that you usually filter out, either pleasant or unpleasant. Catch a whiff of the pine trees outside, food cooking in the kitchen, or the smell of your clothes. Note the different characteristics of these scents.

5. The TASTE Phase – 5 Senses Countdown

Take a final deep breath and bring your attention to the tongue.
The last step in the 5 senses countdown will focus on taste.

Notice ONE thing you can taste.

Take a sip of a drink, chew gum, or nibble on a piece of chocolate. If you don’t have anything in hand, notice the current taste in your mouth or taste the air against your tongue.

Concentrate and savor that one flavor.

Reduce Stress in a Way that Works for You

The goal is to use our 5 senses to focus on the present environment instead of our thoughts. Consequently, this activity helps to ground us and relieve anxiety. By the time most people reach the ‘taste phase’, their overwhelming emotions will fade away. This doesn’t mean the negative feelings are gone, but we do get a break from it taking over our minds. It’s human nature to worry and feel anxiety about the past and future. Therefore, bringing our attention to the present can relieve us from these thoughts and help reduce anxiety. Appreciating the ‘now’ and ‘present’ is a great way to enjoy life. Even more, what better way to celebrate our current existence than with our 5 senses!

However, there are still many different ways to instantly relieve stress. Perhaps you are looking for a more long-term solution in stress management, rather than an instant stress reliever. In that case, check out how you can better learn to control your emotions through “emotional differentiation“.

Looking to improve your mental wellbeing?

Try the SELF MIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Reference:

Harris, R. (2013). Getting Unstuck in ACT: A Clinician’s Guide to Overcoming Common Obstacles in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (1st ed.). New Harbinger Publications.

The post Reduce Stress Right Now – The 5 Senses Countdown appeared first on SELF MIND.

Everything in our life can be a potential seed for worrying and stress. It affects all of us. How good are you with coping with the stress you come to face with? One method to reduce stress involves pressing an imaginary button in the palm of youe hand. Imagine the button is connected to your brain. Then, as you push the button, it sends signals to your mind to “turn off” all negative and stressful thoughts. In reality, it’s a little more complicated than that. This article will show you how to practice this method in detail. Will you press the button?

Push the Button to Reduce Stress

“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.”

– Wayne Dyer
(American writer & speaker)

Stress can manifest itself as both emotional and physical influences on our well-being, and the list of the negative impact it has on us is long. Learning how to handle our stress can increase our happiness and health.

Dr. Don Joseph Goewey is the author of the book The End of Stress: Four Steps to Rewire Your Brain. He is also a pioneer in breakthrough approaches to overcome catastrophic life events. In his book, he explains how our auto-pilot perpetual stress reactions can be trained to sustain calmness. One of the tools he uses called the “Clear Button” method works great on acute stress and worries. If you are feeling the need to reduce stress instantly, this is a great exercise to try. Keep reading to find out how to push the button!

The 6 Steps to the Clear Button Method

1. Imagine a Button in Your Palm

Imagine a button at the center of your palm. When you push the button, it sends a signal to the primitive brain to stop negative, stressful, or pessimistic thoughts or judgments.

2. Push the Button

Push the button on your palm. As you keep pressing, slowly bring your attention to your breathing.

3. The Red Breath

Take a breath. On the inhale, count “1”. Then on the exhale, think red.

4. The Blue Breath

Take another breath. On the inhale, count “2”. Then on the exhale, think blue.

5. The Green Breath

Take a third breath. On the inhale count “3”. Then on the exhale, think green.

6. Let Go

Take one more breath and on the exhale, let your mind go completely. Relax into the present moment. Assert your intention to be at peace as you relate to whatever challenge you face. Be confident in the clarity your state of calm now affords you.

Push the Button Whenever You Feel Stressed

How did that feel? According to Dr. Goewey, we can steal away our attention from the primitive parts of the brain that focus on survival (a.k.a. the part that creates our worries), by when you push the imaginary button and count. This also temporarily takes out your negative thoughts, helping to reduce stress. Concentrating on the steps can be difficult when stress levels are high. However, even if your attention wanders into other thoughts, there’s no need to panic. Just calmly re-focus and get back to the step you were at.

Will You Press the Button?

Stress can be positive in small doses. It helps us stay focused, accomplish goals, boost memory, and provide us the necessary survival reactions at times of crisis. However, prolonging stress can be detrimental to our mental and physical health. Having tips on how to cope with stressful times can help you manage a healthier mind and body. Next time a stressful situation occurs, try push the button to help reduce stress instantly!

Looking to improve your mental wellbeing? Try the SELF MIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Image: Unsplash
Reference:

About Don Joseph Goewey. (2018, July 31). Don Joseph Goewey. https://donjosephgoewey.com/about-don-joseph-goewey/


Goewey, D. J. (2014a). The End of Stress: Four Steps to Rewire Your Brain. Atria Books/Beyond Words.


Goewey, D. J. (2014b). The Starter Kit for Resetting the Brain’s Auto Pilot from Stressed to Stress-Free. https://www.heilpraktikerschule.ch/fileadmin/hps_files/02_Dateien/04_Downloads/04_Diverse/Starter_Kit_Don_Joseph_Goewey.pdf


Marks, H. (2011, April 29). Stress Symptoms. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-symptoms-effects_of-stress-on-the-body#1

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Disclaimer: The breathing exercises outlined in this article are suggestions meant to help alleviate feelings of short-term stress and anxiety. Therefore, please seek medical assistance for any chronic or long-term mood disregulation.

1. Breath focus

Breath focus allows you to concentrate on slow, deep breaths, taking your mind away from any distracting or negative thoughts and feelings.

How to do it:
1. Sit or lie down in a quiet and comfortable location, and close your eyes.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose, while being conscious of your chest and belly rising as you take in the air. Fully expand your abdomen.
3. Slowly breathe out through your mouth. When you do this, make yourself aware of the air as it escapes your abdomen and exits your body.
4. Once you get the hang of this, you can incorporate positive imagery or affirmitive phrases that help you to relax, as you do the breathing exercises.

2. Pursed Lip Breathing

While ‘taking in a deep breath’ is often seen as the important part of breathing for relaxation, deep exhales are actually just as important. This is because exhaling is linked to the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls our body’s ability to calm down and relax. Pursed lip breathing will extend the length of your exhale, allowing more air to flow in and out of your lungs.

How to do it:
1. First, exhale all the air from your lungs.
2. Breathe in through your nose as normal.
3. Exhale slowly, in a thin stream through pursed lips. Imagine yourself blowing bubbles. At this time, try to exhale for twice the length of your inhale.

3. Belly Breathing (or Diaphragmic Breathing)

Breathing from your diaphragm requires the least amount from your body when breathing. It is the breathing method your body uses when completely relaxed, such as during sleep. In other words, being able to use this method naturally will help your body remain in a state of relaxation and calmness.

How to do it:
1. Lie down in a comfortable position, or sit down and lean back. Place your hand or a tissue box on your abdomen, so you can visualize the rise and fall of your stomach.
2. Breathe in deeply through your nose, and notice as your belly rises. Your chest should remain still.
3. Breathe out slowly through your mouth, for 2 or 3 times longer than the inhale, if possible. Engage your stomach muscles to push that last bit of breath out.
4. Practice daily for this method to become a more natural part of your routine. For example, ty to engage in this exercise 3 or 4 times a day, for up to 10 minutes at a time.

Creating a Routine

Different relaxation techniques will work for different individuals. So try out these different exercises and see what works best for you. Furthermore, research shows that picking an exercise and making a routine out of it will increase the effectiveness of its relaxation properties. The key to eliciting a relaxation response from a routine is to shift your focus from the stress to the deeper, calming rythm of your breath. To start, try practicing your exercise of choice once or twice a day, around the same time, between 10 to 20 minutes.

Once you master any of the basic breathing exercises in this article, you could also try out some more advanced breathing techniques, borrowed from yoga practices!

If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!
→ Looking to improve your mental health? Try the SELFMIND app FREE for a week!

Image: Unsplash
References:

American Lung Association. (2020, May 27). Breathing Exercises. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from

Gotter, A. (2019, April 22). 8 Breathing Exercises for Anxiety You Can Try Right Now. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from

Harvard Health Publishing. (2018, April 13). Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from

Hodge, A. (2018, November 16). The Power of Breathing: 4 Pranayama Techniques Worth Practicing. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from

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