Have you ever experienced a full-blown panic attack where your breathing gets very shallow and you just want to escape?  Or you get so angry and frustrated your body tenses up and begins to shake?  Or you’re filled with so much fear that you’re physically unable to move?

These are all very LOUD ways your body talks to you to let you know something is out of balance in your mind and has triggered your flight/fight/freeze response.

This is a response triggered by your autonomic nervous system when your brain perceives a threat.  You may experience many physiological responses like:

increased pulse rate

sweating

shallow more rapid breathing

muscles tense up or you start to shake

narrow focus on what’s creating the stress response

These physical responses represent what happens to the body when you are under physical or emotional stress.

What Can You Do When You Notice This Happening?

I’d like to recommend combining two tools. The first is the Three Breath Trick I learned from Abigail (found in her Healthy Mind Toolbox) and the second tool I call Return To Your Senses.

The Three Breath Trick is very simple yet an incredibly powerful way to interrupt the spin cycle going on in your mind.  When coupled with the Return To Your Senses tool it may provide a long enough PAUSE that you notice yourself calming down.  From this place you’re more open to discover the cause of your stress using Abigail’s tools from the Healthy Mind Toolbox.

So how do you do it?

When you notice any of the physiological responses listed above happening in your body, bring your awareness to your breath.  Notice how you’re breathing then intentionally take three deep breaths deep into your belly.  Allow your belly to expand with each breath.  This is not a time to worry about holding in your stomach.  Let your belly relax and extend with each inhale.

While you’re breathing, pay attention to how your breath feels moving through your body; in through your nose and out through your mouth.  You can do the Three Breath Trick more than once.  Between each round of deep breaths, breathe normally for a few seconds.  Then continue with three deep belly breaths for up to nine cycles.

Next, bring your awareness to your five senses – sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste and ask yourself the following questions.

• What do I see around me in this moment? What do you physically see in your current environment?  Focus your attention on those items.
• What do I hear? Do you hear sounds of the world around you?  People’s voices?  The sounds of nature?  Sounds of an urban city or birds chirping?  Focus your attention on the sounds.
• What do I smell? Do you smell something cooking in the oven?  The smell of the dirt outside or smells coming from the breeze?
• What do I feel? Do you feel clothing on your body?  Do you feel your hands sitting on your lap?  Do you feel wind on your face?
• What do you taste? Did you recently have something to eat or drink and the taste lingers?  Or do you taste the familiar flavor of your own mouth?

You don’t need to be in a full blown panic attack to try this.  I invite you to take a few minutes and give it a try now.  Before you start, check in with your body to see where you notice any physical tension.  After you’re done see if you notice a shift in your physical body.

When you focus on your five senses and the present moment you quiet the spin cycle going on in your mind.

The last question:  after you’ve done the Three Breath Trick and the Return To Your Senses ask yourself this question.

Am I safe in this moment?

When you become present and quiet the fear in the mind you’ll discover at your deepest core lies peace and awareness.  You have love and everything you need all around you and you are safe.

With love and healing,

Diane