Mindfulness meditation can be used for strengthening the ability to remain calm and postpone reactions during stressful situations. Here comes the second part of a body-scan-exercise that you can record and use: … Now pay attention to the lower back – an area where we easily feel pain, stiffness, tension or fatigue. Just breathe. Allow…
To decrease an acute stress-level of 8 or higher on a scale 1 to 10 where the fight-flight mode is controlling the body and mind, you have to focus on physiological techniques since at this level of stress we are outside of pedagogical reach. The most important technique is slow breathing focusing on prolonged exhalations…
The 3d step in traditional CBT is about creating an alternative thought and response to your thoughts in previous exercises, which in turn likely can create other, more positive and/or less intense feelings as well as other more adaptive behavioral responses. This is vitally important!!! This since, in opposition to sensory stimuli or feelings, which…
Mindfulness can be used to strenghten the ability to remain calm. Here is the second part of the body scan, a continuation of the mindfulness exercise from last week that you can record and use: … Move your attention away from your breathing and instead pay attention to the inside of your left leg and…
The second step in traditional CBT is to be aware of your thoughts and the feelings they contribute to as well as what situation that triggered them. A trigger is something that happened and/or something somebody said/did which make you react with thoughts and feelings that reinforce each other making you create a response. Common…
Feelings are innate with the purpose to be our best compass needles describing to us how we are doing and what we need/do not need. They can also be exaggerated when based on a somewhat distorted perspective of reality – such as fear in phobias. Many of us benefit from paying more attention to our…
A common first step in traditional CBT is to be aware of how you are doing/the mental status of your life at that moment, i.e. how you are feeling at a given time. If you want to improve your ability to be aware of this, you can try this exercise: Try for one week to…
Mindfulness is often described as the ability to be attentive to the present moment as it unfolds in a curious, non-judgmental and accepting manner. Try it now: Use one minute to explore what you see around you: which colours, nuances, surfaces etc. Then alternate to describe the content of your thoughts: “Right now I am…