This year has been a recipe for burnout and exhaustion. Prolonged stress, isolation, worries about basic needs and physical safety, uncertainty about our political situation, and no idea when the pandemic cloud will lift—-it’s draining on so many levels. There’s no magic way to feel awesome during all this, so I’d like to offer what tips I can that might help at least a little here and there.
**Remember: the effectiveness of any of these tips will vary, and none of them will make a feeling or anxiety go away for good. However, practicing them on a regular basis over time may help prevent stress and anxiety from building up to overwhelming levels. And if one of these gets you through 30 seconds, that’s 30 seconds more relief than you had before!
The theory here is basically if we do the things that our bodies naturally do when we’re at ease, it can send feedback to the body that we’re relatively safe. I’ve sorted it into Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes to make it a little easier to remember. (And now you just might have that song in your head. You’re welcome.)
HEAD:
Eyebrows (and the other facial muscles): Take a few seconds to move the facial muscles by wagging the eyebrows, making silly faces, scrunching up your face, etc.
Eyes: Let your gaze slowly and casually wander around your surroundings. The movement of the eyes is key here, not the head. This can be combined with some mindful noticing of textures, colors, light, and other visual details.
Nose: Extending the exhale to twice as long as the inhale, keeping the breath very smooth and slow.
Mouth: A closed-mouth tiny smile (like the Mona Lisa) can create a physical shift over time.
Chin: Bringing the chin lower than the forehead is a signal to relax.
Throat: Chewing calms the body, sending the signal to rest and digest. You can chew on food, gum, hard candy, or non-food items like sensory chewies (search for terms like “sensory chewies” or “chewy fidgets”).
Voice: Inhale through nose, then exhale while making the sound “Voo” low and long until you run out of breath. Repeat a few times. Here’s a video.
SHOULDERS:
Shoulders: Can you create more space between your shoulders and your ears? Roll the shoulders a few times if that feels good, or bring them up towards the ears, squeeze tightly, then release.
Arms (and other limbs): Make big gestures, keep hands open instead of in fists.
Arms: Do a Butterfly Hug by crossing arms and alternating tapping your chest or upper arms with your hands. Here’s a video. You can go faster than the video does if that feels good to you in that moment.
KNEES:
Knees (and legs): Is there a motion that your body wants to make? Does it want to move quickly or even run away? Does it want to dance, roll, stretch, throw, grab, push, pull, skip, etc.? Can you find a safe and non-harmful way to let it have what it wants for a few minutes? If the motion it wants isn’t possible for your body, can you take a little time to vividly imagine doing that motion?
Legs: Getting our legs up above our heart can feel calming and restorative. This doesn’t have to involve a handstand! Just putting our calves on the seat of a chair or couch is plenty to get the effect. Learn more here.
TOES:
Feet and toes: Especially if you’re feeling frozen, slow and gentle movements can be key. Gradually start wiggling the toes, starting very slowly. Over a few minutes you can move into moving the feet and ankles, staying gentle and smooth.
Other Tricks:
Chill Out (literally!): Putting an ice pack or cold cloth over the eyes can help calm down the nervous system. Holding an ice cube for a little while (but not so long that you hurt yourself!) can shock us out of an overwhelmed state. If it’s okay with your doctor, a cold shower can have a similar effect.
Loving-Kindness Meditation: This meditation can help with self-compassion but is also excellent to use before going into a social situation. There are many free guided versions out there on apps like Insight Timer and on YouTube.
iRest Yoga Nidra: This type of guided meditation is used to help teach the body to deeply relax. There are lots of guided versions out there. Some, like this one, even include a progressive muscle relaxation to create an even greater effect. This is a good one to use when going to sleep, during a nap, or when you wake up too early and can’t fall back asleep (scroll down to the second video).
Finally, here are some resources in case you need something more than self-soothing:
· National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or chat online at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
· Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860 https://www.translifeline.org/
· Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or chat online at https://www.thehotline.org/help/
· The Trevor Project (for LGBTQIA people under 25): 1-866-488-7386 or chat online at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
· Here’s a link to a list of Warmlines for times when you might not be in a dangerous crisis but still really need to talk to someone: https://screening.mhanational.org/content/need-talk-someone-warmlines
· Quarantine Chat is a free project and offers another way to get connection with others https://quarantinechat.com/
Questions? You can reach me at info@beyondtherapy.us (Remember, this is not medical advice. Please consult a mental health professional when needed for personalized help.)