Time To Get Practical<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We can get so caught up in the stories we are creating in our heads and they can feel so very real and fuel our emotions, but sometimes, we just need to get to the practical bits. Sometimes, a situation is what a situation is and so we need to just get practical. For example, if finances are a concern, no amount of reframing and changing your thinking will change the situation. So get practical and look at your money. Start budgeting. Look at where you can make savings. This is similar to focusing on what you can control or influence but on a much more practical level. Don\u2019t just put your attention there – take action!!!<\/strong> Taking action can reduce the feelings you may have built which created a really overwhelming situation.\u00a0
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some situations can benefit from both the easing of thoughts – by softening them or moving that thinking switch – and making actual changes by looking at the elements within your control. For example if you have to attend a family event (and you really feel you can’t get out if it)\u00a0you can ease the thinking around it AND you can focus on the parts you can control. You can choose who you speak with, you can influence the conversations on to neutral topics, you may be able to have a planned exit and so on.\u00a0
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get Back In The Room<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you have worked on your thoughts, paid attention to your body and focussed on practical steps and what you can control. Sometimes, for many reasons, you still find a situation too much. No matter where you are, you always have tools to get yourself to a better mental state.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is all related – your thinking is causing your feelings – and a wonderful way to quickly get away from that is to get in the present moment. When your mind is in the present, it cannot be in the head creating stories. Here are a few exercises you can do to get you in the present moment.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Breathe!!!<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nOf course you have heard this before, but when you are focusing on your breath you are calming your nervous system which will get you to a more regulated state. If you focus on taking a few deep breathes you will have disrupted the thinking patterns and will quickly start to feel calmer.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Name your senses<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nAgain this is bringing your attention to your senses, which means you have to be in the present moment. So name 5 things that you can see, 4 things that you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. After this, from a now state of calm, you can decide what your next best course of action is.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n