Remember all those lessons on 'belly breathing'? This is your reminder to practice at home.
- Breathe in deeply and slowly through your nose - about 5 seconds
- When your lungs are full, hold - about 1-2 seconds
- Notice any tension in your body
- Exhale slowly through your mouth - about 5 seconds
- As you exhale, allow your muscles to relax
- When your lungs are empty, hold - about 1-2 seconds
- Allow your body to sink into your chair just a bit
- *repeat*
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Other things you can do to
Allow yourself to FEEL
Allow yourself to FEEL
- Try to name your feeling(s) "I feel angry."
- Validate your feeling(s) "Of course I'm angry, this is a very frustrating situation."
- Accept your feeling(s) "It's ok to be angry right now. I will be ok because I can talk to my family."
- Feel your feeling(s) in your body "I am angry. My heart is racing and my muscles are tense."
- Notice what caused the feeling(s) "I got a mean text from a friend, which made me angry."
- Modify your behavior accordingly "I still want to be friends with that person, so I will arrange to talk to them in person and explain my hurt feelings." OR "Maybe it would be best if that friend and I gave each other some space right now."
- If the feeling(s) are overwhelming and cause undue distress, consider what this feeling is trying to tell you "I am angry because I feel like I am losing my friend."
- Take steps to mitigate the feeling "I am going to exercise so I can loosen my body, then I will talk to a trusted adult about the situation to get some advice."