4 Useful Coping Strategies
The past 13 to 14 months certainly has been a difficult time for everyone. As I mentioned in my first post, I work in the mental health field as a licensed professional counselor. There are more people that need treatment or services right now than providers with the availability to treat them in a timely manner. For those that have made the call to speak with a provider or those who are still in the contemplation phase of their treatment or those just looking for additional coping skills, the following article will provide four strategies to reduce our daily stress. And if you feel like you are in need of more intensive treatment or feel like you may be a danger to yourself or others, please contact 911 or go to your closest emergency room. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, we are always here for YOU!
4-7-8 Breathing Technique: I like this one because it’s easy, can be done literally anywhere at any time, and requires only a minute of your time. First, get into a relaxed position. You can be sitting or standing but try to clear your mind (that’s the hardest part!). Breath in for (4) seconds. Now hold that breath for (7) seconds, and then slowly exhale for (8) seconds. You can repeat this on an as needed basis. Purpose: For a brief period of time, you are allowing your mind to be still, focusing on the breaths and not the other multitude of stressors in your life. Oftentimes when we are anxious, our breathing becomes irregular and we are not supplying enough oxygen to the brain, thus exacerbating our anxiety. I am guilty of this! This technique was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil and my source for this exercise is www.healthline.com
Five Sense for Grounding: Much like the first exercise, this technique is intended for you to shift your focus on the “Here and Now”, a common phrase used in therapy with an emphasis on mindfulness. Put yourself in a quiet space without distraction from others or electronic devices. Once you feel like you have cleared your mind, start with identifying five things you can currently see. Take time to reflect on these objects. Without getting up or moving around too much, what are four things you can feel? An example is the chair you are sitting on or the clothes on your body. How does it feel? Next, what are three things you can hear? An example are the chirping birds or cars passing by in the distance. Take a moment to reflect on these sounds. It’s ok if your mind wanders, just try and refocus it on the sounds. Now, what are two things you can smell? Maybe you are inside and you smell a plant or candle. Lastly, what is one thing you can taste? Take a moment to sit in silence and reflect on these things you have identified. Have you ever noticed these things with this much thought in the past? Purpose: Again, this puts us in a state of relaxation. It might be difficult at first, but for a brief portion of our day we are not focusing on stressors. The more we practice this, the easier it will become. We are training ourselves to dedicate time to focus on the present moment. This is essential in reducing anxiety! I am unsure who developed this technique, but found the exercise on multiple sites including www.therapistaid.com
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR): This technique can provide immediate relief to your body in a physical sense and alleviate anxiety. In this exercise, an individual will learn how to intentionally put tension on a muscle group and to hold the tension for 4-10 seconds. Then slowly reduce the tension while emphasizing your focus on the release of tension. Repeat with each desired muscle group. Important to remember that you should not feel any pain while doing this exercise. Purpose: It focuses on specific muscle groups to alleviate built up stress and anxiety which can cause pain and achiness. A lot of people carry stress in certain parts of their body. For example, I continuously feel tension in my neck. Doing this exercise, I can reduce the pain and I feel better overall. Additionally, you are training your body to reduce stress naturally and effectively. Here is a link to PMR script from www.therapistaid.com:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Script (therapistaid.com)
Meditation: Much like the other coping strategies, the primary goal of meditation is to shift your focus from the day-to-day stressors to the present moment. We often are worried about an upcoming event or something that occurred in the past. We spend a lot of time not being present. Setting aside just a few minutes per day to meditate can drastically decrease anxiety and promote a healthier lifestyle. Meditation can be difficult when you first start out. One of the key things to remember is to acknowledge when your thoughts wander, and refocus back on the present moment. The more you practice, the easier it becomes! Here a few short clips that are guided meditation:
3 Minute Meditation
5 Minute Meditation
10 Minute Meditation
5 Minute of Mindful Breathing - Ted Talk
