This is a useful, practical article on five strategies for working with those negative thought loops we all can get caught up in. And, good news is these strategies really do work! Click on the link to read the article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/renee-jain/negative-thoughts-throw-them-out-and-four-other-ideas_b_6308030.html
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No matter what tradition you are celebrating, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle this time of year. This link to an article by Ed Halliwell gives you five ways to slow down and appreciate what's going on around you. Click on the link to open the article: http://www.mindful.org/mindful-voices/the-examined-life/five-ways-to-slow-down-and-appreciate-the-season
Compassionate abiding with yourself ~ Pema Chodron talking to Oprah Winfrey on working with sadness12/3/2014 Name...Breathe...Allow ~ Managing emotions during times of stress by Katie Conlon, Fulfillment Daily12/2/2014 Excellent on-line article by Katie Conlon from Fulfillment Daily on managing emotions during stress, rather than your emotions managing you. Original link http://www.fulfillmentdaily.com/best-kept-secret-keeping-cool/
The Challenge: Our emotions can get the best of us during times of stress. The Science: Just noticing and labeling emotions can help calm our us down. The Solution: The NBA technique holds the secret to staying calm anytime. We all have to deal with stress in our lives from time to time. Often we feel stressed because we’ve been triggered by something – a particular word or phrase, a specific space or environment, or perhaps a person who pushes our buttons. When we are triggered, we often experience extreme emotion (for example, anger or anxiety). Our Brain’s Threat-Detector Triggers in our environment activate a part of our brain called the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls our “fight or flight” response. In short, the amygdala’s job is to identify threats in our environment, and prepare our bodies to either flee or fight in response to those threats. Amygdala Hijack Unfortunately, when the amygdala is activated (usually during times of stress), we become less able to think clearly and complexly because our brain is focused on survival. In other words, when we encounter something stressful, the amygdala takes over by sending signals to our body that danger is nearby, causing our level of stress hormone to increase. Our body tenses, and emotions run high. In these moments, we become less capable of dealing effectively with the situation at hand. This happens because the amygdala responds in the same way to “social threats” (for example, a co-worker ignores us or says something mean) as it does to life or death threats (like a hungry bear running towards us). While the amygdala was (and is) important for survival in life or death situations, it can often get in our way when it reacts to the common but non life-threatening triggers we all encounter every day. Acting in the Heat of the Moment For example, we might be in the middle of an important meeting, and a colleague says something that we find rude or offensive. Before we know what’s happening, our amygdala has activated, we feel angry and physically tense, and we respond with an inappropriate attack on that person. Later, once our body and mind have calmed down again, we regret how we acted in the heat of the moment. So how can we calm our brain in times of stress? Recent research reveals that identifying and naming our feelings (called “affect labeling”) during a moment of stress serves to decrease brain activity in the amygdala, and increase brain activity in part of the prefrontal cortex (the part of our brain that controls more complex thinking). This study showed that the simple and perhaps silly-sounding act of labeling our feelings is, in and of itself, calming to our amygdala. In other words, talking ourselves through a moment of stress by labeling our feelings in that moment can actually calm us down and allow us to think more clearly and effectively about how best to handle a stressful situation. How to manage ourselves when we are triggered Suzanne Kryder suggests a technique based on the principle of affect labeling that is known by the acronym “NBA.” This technique (outlined below) can be extremely helpful during times of stress in calming our amygdala and helping us think more clearly. NBA Technique
What emotion(s) am I experiencing? For example: noticing your shoulders are tense and your jaw is clenched, and that you feel frustrated and angry
For example: “I am feeling anger and frustration right now. I’m noticing that my shoulders feel tight and I’m clenching my jaw.
Breathing can help to calm you.
What you can do The next time you find yourself triggered by a stressful situation, no matter how big or small, practice NBA – notice and name how you are feeling emotionally and physically, breathe deeply, and allow those feelings to be present. By doing this, you will be able to access a greater sense of calm, and be better able to deal with the situation at hand. Try it – it really works! Katie Conlon: Katie Conlon, M.A., MAPP is a Trainer, Coach, and Consultant. She works with the Center for Leadership and Organizational Change at the University of Maryland and runs her own private practice, The Phoenix Nest. She is an Assistant Instructor in the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology program at the University of Pennsylvania, and a member of the faculty of the Flourishing Center’s Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology. Katie also develops curriculum for George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. She earned a master's degree in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in counseling and personnel services from the University of Maryland. Previous articleWhy Waiting in Line Can Actually Be A Gift Next article4 Ways to Control Your Mood with Nothing But a Pen You may also like November 4, 2014 4 Ways to Control Your Mood with Nothing But a Pen October 24, 2014 Why Waiting in Line Can Actually Be A Gift |
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