Stress Reduction for Cultivating the Neutral Mind
by Debra Cohen LCSW
Everyday it seems that there is never enough time and that situations and other people increase our tension. Most of stress is how we respond to it and not just "out there".
Remember it is much easier to nip something in the bud then to deal with stress after it flowers into physical symptoms or a bad mood. If you get into a funk sometimes it can last for days and it's often hard to break free of it. When you can "catch" the negative moment beginning you have a great shot at stopping it from taking you down. I've found these helpful for myself as well as my clients:
1) If you feel a certain "mood" beginning (ie depression, anger, discouragement) try to do something physical such as go running, swim,or even clean. It's good to do something that will tune up your nervous and glandular system.
2) There are two breathing exercises from yoga that are very helpful to cultivate a neutral mind. One is called "Alternate nostril breathing" and the other is called "Breath of Fire". You can learn these from a yoga class or video.
3) Identify and write down the mental tape loops that you finding yourself repeating. By knowing what these are you can watch it instead of take it as your own identity. The more you "see" the dramas the less you react from within them.
4) Keep a notebook of inspiring anectdotes , quotes and tips. This helps to boost one's spirit and also to feel connected with others that have dealt with similar feelings.
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Debra Cohen, LCSW
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