The 10-Second Rule
Remember when you were a kid and one of the adults who got angry or upset over something would suddenly stop and count to 10? It was a good thing to do and it's still a good thing.
Now, instead of just counting to 10, I recommend what I'd call "The 10-Second Rule." The rule is simple. You stop, hold any comments, breath in through your nose and whoosh out through your mouth (almost like a sigh actually) and repeat it several times as you think about the position of your shoulders and ribs.
Since I haven't seen anyone doing any research into sighing, I wonder if that's Mother Nature's way of telling us to take a breath and calm down when things are getting to us. I'm constantly amazed at how we do some things instinctively and they help.
What I've suggested is a brief form of relaxation breathing and it allows you to do two things; take those few extra beats to short-cut any angry outbursts and let your body calm down.
Become a proponent of The 10-Second Rule and use it whenever possible. It can make life and living with stress a lot easier.
Related Topics: Anger Tends to Wane with Age, Simmer Down Anger To Avoid Injury
Technorati Tags: relaxationbreathing, stressmanagement
Now, instead of just counting to 10, I recommend what I'd call "The 10-Second Rule." The rule is simple. You stop, hold any comments, breath in through your nose and whoosh out through your mouth (almost like a sigh actually) and repeat it several times as you think about the position of your shoulders and ribs.
Since I haven't seen anyone doing any research into sighing, I wonder if that's Mother Nature's way of telling us to take a breath and calm down when things are getting to us. I'm constantly amazed at how we do some things instinctively and they help.
What I've suggested is a brief form of relaxation breathing and it allows you to do two things; take those few extra beats to short-cut any angry outbursts and let your body calm down.
Become a proponent of The 10-Second Rule and use it whenever possible. It can make life and living with stress a lot easier.
Related Topics: Anger Tends to Wane with Age, Simmer Down Anger To Avoid Injury
Technorati Tags: relaxationbreathing, stressmanagement
3 Comments:
Dr Farrell,
Thank you! I tried your "10-Second Rule" as I was reading your blog and it is great--instant relaxation and unclenching! Amazing how your suggestion to 'think about the postition of your shoulders and ribs' can relieve tension/clenching and improve the breathing at the same time!
I also have a theory that depression is Mother Nature's way of relieving anxiety and that's why so many of us seem to have both depression and anxiety. I think, for some at least, depression comes along to de-anxietize, if you will, a person. When the anxiousness gets to be too much, for some I think it gets to a point where the person collapses into depression and it is Mother Nature's way of helping the anxiety symptoms and giving the person a rest. Just my theory; I have to think there is some reason/connection between anxiety and depression, a partnership of some kind. There must be a reason they appear together for so many of us.
Thanks again for your "10-Second Rule"! I will remember to use it often.
~Tasker
You know, I think that there may be a good connection between anxiety and depression as you say. For instance, I always recommend that whenever someone is very anxious that one thing to do is to physically slow down. By that I mean actually walk slower and take your time to allow your body to use this feedback to decrease the anxiety that has built up. When someone is depressed, what's one of the first things we notice? They slow down. You're made a very astute observation there, my friend.
Dr. Farrell,
Slowing down your movements is good advice for fighting anxiety. It was recommended to me and I have used it. It is amazing how slowing your movements can relax you and lessen anxiety. Your movements becomes like a dance, a ballet, fluid, musical without music. Rythmic. It does feel good and calming.
I tried your "10-Second Rule" again today, while walking back from taking the trash down to the dumpster in the apartment complex, and it worked while walking too!
Also I took your suggestion of walking in place (the exercise blog) while stirring supper at the stove~~I ended up jogging while cooking my mac 'n cheese! Good think there are no windows in my kitchen for my neighbors to see into! LOL
~Tasker
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