Five Ways to Self Regulate

There are many, many avenues into this topic. Here, I offer a body centered approach (of course!).

Many of us want to avoid difficult emotions, we do this by judging, blaming,  rationalizing, or distracting ourselves out of discomfort. 

The key is to objectively turn towards your emotions. 

It's been shown that when we allow emotions to arise and simply be acknowledged, without adding a storyline (i.e. thoughts and judgements about the emotion), the emotion will pass in roughly 90 seconds.

Wow! It's worth a try, right?

No. 1 Acknowledge. Name the emotion you are feeling and locate it in your body. If you're unsure, ask yourself what you are feeling and ask how it's showing up physically. If it's fear or anger say "In this moment, I am feeling fear." Notice how it manifests in your body: hot/red face, a tight tummy, a furrowed brow, or restricted breath. 

No. 2 Discharge. Shake it off. Yes, just like Taylor Swift says. Rock up and down on your heels to shake your whole body, shake your shoulders and hands, and sigh on each exhale. Take several deep belly breaths. Do this until you feel the energy of the emotion release.

No. 3 Go to your happy place. The ocean is my personal fav. Use your mind to feel all five senses and ground in. Smell the ocean air, feel your feet in the sand, listen to the waves meet the shore, taste the salt on your lips, and see the vast waters reach out to the horizon line. 

No. 4 Smile. Simply move your face muscles into a gentle smile to instantly lower stress, boost your immune system, and elevate your mood. In Qi Gong, it is referred to as your "inner sunshine smile" -  practice smiling at your heart! 

No. 5 Hum. Humming can enhance heart variability, lower blood pressure and create new neural pathways in the brain. Try humming into your shoulders and lower back to reduce tension.