May 6 -12 is National Mental Health week. This is the 68th year of taking a week to highlight the need for increased awareness and acceptance of mental health challenges, to start conversations and to encourage the development of strategies for managing the challenges we all face. Statistics show increasing numbers of Canadians will deal with mental health issues in their lifetime, now that number is greater than 1 person in 5! Whether or not we deal with mental health challenges personally, we all will have someone close to us who will experience these issues.
There is a simple grounding technique that can be used to interrupt the progress of an anxiety or panic attack. If these can be a challenge for you, or you know someone for whom this can be a challenge- this is a great skill to practice. When you are in the middle of an attack, it is not the time to try and find this article and figure it out! Develop these skills on a good day, so then when it is not a good day you will have this in your arsenal to manage anxiety. This uses some principles from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help break the downward spiral of depression or upward spiral of anxiety. It focuses us on specific things that are happening now. I just taught this exercise to Primary School children during a health workshop.
It is very easy to remember, you just think of your 5 senses. Take time to focus each of your senses on your present state. This can take you out of panic-mode about future events or grief regarding past events that may be consuming your focus. It is important to verbalize each of your responses (or help your child/loved one/friend to verbalize their responses). Be as specific as possible. For example, for one of the things you see, instead of saying “I see a blue chair,” say “I see a blue chair, and the blue is the colour of the sky, and the fabric is frayed on the arm rests…”.
Practice this now. Take a couple of minutes to say, out loud, the answers to these questions, while breathing as slowly and evenly as possible. Be ready for the next time you may need it!
5 things you can see around you.
4 things you can touch/feel. (feet on the hard ground, back against soft chair, rough fabric of jeans …)
3 things you can hear right now.
2 things you can smell (or 2 things you like the smell of)
1 thing you can taste (or 1 thing you like about yourself)
Join us for an Optimal Health Workshop Tuesday, May 7 to learn more strategies to manage stress. Call now to register!