We have found over time that, if a number of stressful incidents or circumstances arise over a short period of time, it is easy to start to feel a bit overwhelmed by it all.
This feeling of overwhelm would, for example, demonstrably exist were we to have self calculated our SMI™ (Stress Management Index™) to be between 8 and 10.
For further detail of how to self calculate your own SMI, refer to our previous post entitled "Have an SMI™ (Stress Management Index™) to accompany your BMI".
When this happens, we have a simple technique that assists the coping mechanism.
You can perform this technique almost anywhere (though obviously not if driving or operating heavy machinery!) and it only takes a few moments.
Firstly, we close our eyes and imagine nothing but a bright light or darkness in a room (depending on your preference).
We start our favoured breathing technique to relax the body and mind – breathing in slowly to the count of 4 and out slowly to the count of 6 – and continue this for the duration of the exercise.
The aim is to focus solely on the light or darkness alongside the breathing at the expense of any other thoughts for the period of the exercise.
Predictably, thoughts will come into our head as we perform the exercise (we know they will before we start) – perhaps some of the current items of concern to us, for example.
We do not therefore try to ‘dismiss’ or ‘shut out’ those thoughts during the exercise – and this is important – instead, we acknowledge them but treat them as being separate to us, by imagining each thought as a cloud passing by in the sky – we see it, validate it, but then let it move past as all clouds do.
This helps create a mental barrier between us and the issues that are, or are at risk of, otherwise overwhelming us, all the while focusing on the light/darkness and our breathing.
The breathing technique that forms part of this exercise is a super grounding mechanism that sends a subconscious message to the mind and body that there is no immediate danger so its OK to relax – even if that’s the last thing you actually feel like doing (compare this to its deployment in the case of panic attacks by visiting our post entitled "Identifying & Stressbusting™ Panic Attacks").
After a few minutes, we slowly wiggle our toes, open our eyes and resume our day, invariably feeling calmer and less agitated.
If and when the issues continue to concern us, we are then able to continue to visualise them while going about our normal activities as separate to us and clouds that move into our sight from time to time and draw our attention but then still naturally again drift off of their own accord.
We hope this simple, non time consuming technique of ours helps your valuable ongoing stressbusting™ endeavours.
LOL, LouLoU™&MikeyM™💖💜 xxxxxx