Slow it down...

Our bodies are primed to respond to danger in what’s commonly called the ‘fight or flight’ response.

This is innate and primal and can be a life saver in times of real crisis or threat. Fortunately for most of us, it will be incredibly rare that we truly experience such danger in our lives however the response mechanism inside of us often doesn’t distinguish between a real emergency or threat and the stresses we often bring upon ourselves and potentially make bigger than they are.

As an example, the school test, business proposal / deadlines, making a speech, financial worries, contemplating or going through a break up. Others might include fear of spiders / other things, needles (blood tests), flying, starting a new job.

In times where we feel overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, nervous, suffer panic attacks and feel both physically and emotionally distressed – SLOW IT DOWN.

Take a breath, have in mind some trusted and proven breathing exercises you can carry out. The objective is to calm down your heart rate and bring it back to a managed beat. The reason you have become distressed is due to some/many things feeling out of control and breathing can deliver some control back to you.

If you happen to be somewhere scenic, stop and immerse yourself in the natural environment. Listen to the sounds, breath in the smells, feel the ground beneath you.

If such (dramatic) scenery or landscape isn’t available, you can often still find something to focus on. In a garden or park there will be flowers, plants and trees of all shapes and colours. Anywhere else, there will be sounds or something available for you to centre in on.

Touch can also be important. If you have something soft, fleecy or fluffy it can be extremely comforting to stroke this.

Have a think and create a few ‘tricks’ or ‘strategies’ that you can practice and have available if and when those crippling worries come knocking on your door.

What you will be doing is calming down the worry. Even the word itself, ‘calm’ is calming.