Interesting :) The basics of quick stress relief: There are countless techniques for preventing stress. Yoga and meditation, for example, can work wonders for improving your coping skills. But who can take a moment to chant or meditate during a job interview or a disagreement with your spouse? For these situations, you need something more immediate and accessible. That’s when quick stress relief comes to the rescue. The speediest way to stamp out stress is by engaging one or more of your senses—what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch—and through the sensation of movement. By smelling a specific scent or touching a certain type of material, for example, you can instantly relax and focus yourself. The key to practicing quick stress relief is to discover which sensory experiences have that effect on you. Everyone responds to sensory experiences a little differently, so it’s important to experiment and find the one that works best for you. Not only is this essential for rapidly reducing everyday stress and confronting emotional challenges, it is a vital skill you’ll need when practicing the Ride the Wild Horse mindfulness meditation in this toolkit. Tips for finding sensory inspiration: Inspiration is everywhere, from sights you see on your way to work to smells and objects around your home. Explore a variety of sensations so that no matter where you are you’ll always have something you can do to relax yourself. Here a few ideas to get you started. Memories: Think back to what you did as a child to calm down. If you had a blanket or stuffed toy, you might benefit from tactile stimulation. Try keeping a piece of soft suede in your pocket or tying a textured scarf around your neck before an appointment. Watch others: Observing how others deal with stress can give you valuable insight. Baseball players often pop gum in their mouth before going up to bat. Singers often chat up the crowd before performing. Ask around about what people you know do to stay focused under pressure—it could work for you too. Parents: Think back to what your parents did to blow off steam. Did your mother feel more relaxed after a long walk? Did your father play with the dog or do yard work after a hard day? Try some of the things they did to unwind; they might work for you too. Authors: Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., with Melinda Smith, M.A., and Lawrence Robinson.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 19:53:31 +0000