You don’t necessarily need to practise meditation to be more present however (although that is a great idea), just practise paying more attention to whatever you’re doing. If you’re walking to work, really tune in to the feeling of your feet on the pavement, the breeze on your skin, and the sights, sounds and smells around you. When you’re eating, focus totally on the taste, colours, textures and aromas of your food. If you’re really focused on what you’re experiencing it has the effect of calming the mind down and stopping you from worrying about the future.
Time out
Our bodies and minds are not adapted for this fast paced world where everything is going at full speed all day long. We need breaks and time out to function and feel at our best. An important thing to remember is that rest and activity are both equally important. Make sure you schedule in time for yourself thoughout your day; some exercise, a walk outdoors, calling a friend, listening to a meditation or relaxation recording. Treat these things with the same level of importance as your work and know that they are actually essential to your mental wellbeing, not a luxury.
Chloe Brotheridge is a therapist and Calm Coach. Get a FREE relaxation MP3, one of the most powerful tools for calming anxiety, by signing up at www.calmer-you.com/free
DON’T take a deep breath!
When a person is anticipating a stressful situation (for example a driving test or job interview) and voices their concerns about stress nerves and anxiety, it is common for well meaning friends and family to advise taking deep breaths to help them remain calm.
Unfortunately taking deep breaths without knowing how to do it properly can trigger the opposite effect, leading to feelings of panic and hyperventilating.
Correct methods for deep breathing involve breathing in through the nose, which helps to regulate the breathing. However when an individual follows an instruction to take a deep breath, they often gasp air in through their mouth as if they are about to hold their breath for a period of time, deregulating their breathing.
Driving confidence coaches Kev and Tracey Field from Confident Drivers suggest avoiding advise to take a deep breath and instead to take a slow, gentle full breath in through the nose, followed by breathing out through the mouth, through pursed lips to help regulate breathing and calm feelings of anxiety or nerves. This can be carried out in two simple steps.
- Breathe in as if smelling a flower
2. Breathe out as if blowing out candles on a birthday cake
It is the out breath which triggers the relaxation response, not the in breath. Focusing on making the out breath longer than the in breath increases your relaxation response by increasing your vagal tone and lowering your heart rate.
Ground yourself
Grounding yourself can help you feel more connected to the Earth and to your body. If you find your mind spiralling, this technique can help you reconnect.