Quick stress relief
Overthinking your thoughts exhausts you and degrades your mental health. Stress is not as dangerous as endlessly scrolling through stressful thoughts. It’s like you’re reliving the stress a thousand times. You need to be able to stop this.😬
The flow of our thoughts is synchronized with the movements of the tongue, hands and eyes. To instantly calm down, you need to stop all muscle movements.
So:
✅1. Fix your eyes at one point (the bridge of your nose) and hold them there.
✅2. Press the tip of your tongue against the hard palate and hold it there.
✅3. Press the back of your hands (palms up) to the front surface of the thigh and hold them there.
Did you feel it? The stream of thoughts stopped. Enjoy it!
Quick stress relief here and now: 12 Ideas
1. Restore sensory connection:
Focus on external stimuli instead of internal emotions. Use the 5–4–3–2–1 technique: 5 things you see, 4 things you touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste. Pay attention to the people around you.
2. Physical contact:
Engage in activities involving the body: self-massage, rubbing ears or the sides of the nose, kneading hands and feet, towel rubbing, or using massage rollers.
3. Teeth:
Chewing reduces cortisol levels and improves concentration. Chewing gum or crunchy snacks like carrots work well.
4. Breathing:
Practice breath control techniques like a double inhale, square breathing, or slow diaphragmatic breathing. Apps like Breath Ball can guide you.
5. Language:
Read aloud, recite poems, sing, or even vent. Reading aloud helps distract and reset your mind. Alternatively, press your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
6. Eyes:
Could you fix your gaze on one point, such as the bridge of your nose, to stop racing thoughts?
7. Hands and feet: Engage in repetitive motor activities, like counting prayer beads or making monotonous movements, which calm the brain. Jumping, walking, chopping wood, or digging can also help.
8. Focus on one thought:
Repeat a thought to yourself to maintain contact with reality. Use self-supportive phrases like, “I can handle this.”
9. Distraction:
Do something that fully absorbs your attention, such as playing a simple game like Tetris. Even holding a plank position can help you forget your worries.
10. Posture:
Stand up straight, lift your head, and roll back your shoulders. An open posture reduces fear and stress. Try standing this way in front of a mirror.
11. Visualization:
Imagine stress overwhelming you, but then realize nothing actually happens! Absurdity helps release tension. Visualize your fear as a metaphor and “squash” it like a bug.
12. Physical stress as hormesis:
Counter psychological stress with beneficial physical stress. Physical stress activates anti-stress mechanisms: heat: sauna or hot baths; cold: cold showers; exertion: lifting weights or engaging in strenuous activity.
Write the number of the method that works best for you