I love what Jeffrey Schwartz teaches in his book ‘You are not your brain’. He teaches a four step process to relabel and reframe our deceptive ‘lizard’ brain messages. A basic summary is: Step 1 - Relabel - identify deceptive brain message and uncomfortable sensations, call them what they are, e.g. Palpitations. Step 2 - Reframe – Change your perception – they are just false brain messages, e.g. It’s not me, it’s just my brain. Step 3 - Refocus – direct your attention towards something else, preferably something productive, even while the deceptive messages, urges, thoughts and sensations are still there and bothering you. Step 4 - Revalue – clearly see them for what they are, simply sensations caused by deceptive brain messages that are not true and have no value. I love this technique because it collaborates brilliantly with The Panic Away program. The program teaches you that by reframing your thinking, you can eliminate anxiety and especially panic attacks. If you can get to a point where in a non judgemental way, you can ‘relabel’ your experience as ‘just anxiety’ or ‘panic’ or relabel the sensations exactly what they are ... ‘Palpitations’, ‘pins & needles’, ‘sweaty palms’, you will discover a new found freedom.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 06:49:31 +0000