#Positively Stressed - Week 3
So how do you teach your brain what a “stressor stimulus” is and what it is not?
One way to teach your brain what is not a stressor stimulus is to use what are called “grounding techniques”.
Grounding techniques will be a recurring theme throughout this series as they come in many different forms and we likely do them every day without even thinking about it. The overarching theory of grounding techniques are to quiet the mind and focus on one specific item or task – this week we will cover the grounding technique of “Focused Breathing”.
There are multiple styles of “focused breathing” including diaphragmatic breathing (aka stomach breathing), square breathing (4 seconds in, 4 seconds hold, 4 seconds release, 4 seconds hold), pursed breathing (slow your rate of exhale), and many other styles.
Why do these work? Because when our bodies are in the “fight, flight, or freeze” response, our breathing pattern changes to accommodate the increased need for oxygen. So, by slowing and focusing on our breathing, it takes away the instinctive stress-based response and replaces it with rational mindfulness and therefore sends a signal within the brain that there is not a need for the additional cortisol/adrenaline response.
Breathing is usually just one part of an overall grounding strategy to reduce stress on a short-term basis. Admittedly, we cannot focus on our breathing for the rest of our lives (unless we want to live like Buddhist monks meditating all day long); therefore, other strategies will need to be integrated for more long-term benefits.
Comment below what other strategies you like to use with focused breathing to ground yourself in a moment of high anxiety.
By: Stephen Delcuze, Esq. - Found on LinkedIn here.
