1. Feeling stressed? Do the physiological sigh. Big breath in, short breath in, big sigh out.

  2. Feeling anxious? Go for a walk, when you walk your eyes naturally scan from side to side which deactivates your amygdala, and relaxes the body.

  3. Are you feeling Sad? Acknowledge your feelings, validate yourself and then move your body to release endorphins.

  4. If you’re feeling impulsive or angry, look out of the window, but don’t look AT anything, dilate your gaze, or zone out, this blunts noradrenaline, so you can think clearly.

  5. If you have low motivation, focus intently on one sopt on your screen for one minute and ignore everything else pupillary convergence increases focus.

  6. If you’re feeling insecure, write down your strengths, as the logic systems override the limbic system.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, here’s some things that help, , journaling, writing down what you’re grateful for, going out in nature, breath work (wim hof), go for a drive or move your body with dance etc. This can help you sooth those emotions and regain balance, so those emotions aren’t filling up the whole screen and you can see around them again, and find ways to help yourself in the moment.

Credit: Anna Akana, Dr Nicole A. Tetreault.

  • Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.orgEnglish
    2·
    1 day ago

    That’s a rather good explanation. Thank you. I do agree with the observation part, even though most of the time there isn’t anything noticable to observe for me. I just couldn’t really understand where the validation part plays into this.

    Yeah you’re completely right practicing of noticing those has been rather helpful. It has thought me to notice negative thinking patterns which can spiral and eventually lead to negative emotions, which can eventually lead to depression.

    • LavaPlanet@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      2·
      7 hours ago

      Oooh, yeah, rumination is a demon I’m currently trying to exorcise. And absolutely great reminder that those thoughts can trigger those emotions. They do! You get in this fight or flight feed back loop, emotions trigger the thoughts, thoughts trigger the emotions. AND I’ve just recently learned you can just get in the habit of doing it, with absolutely no trigger, you just always go into fight or flight, just for the reason, that you always do. Rumination is mostly habit! Blew my mind learning that. It’s a form of ocd. It certainly takes a high level of nervous system regulation, to battle it.

      • Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.orgEnglish
        1·
        2 hours ago

        I have a more scientific or common name for it now. Thank you.

        So how do you try to combat or lessen the impact of it?

        • LavaPlanet@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
          2·
          40 minutes ago

          I’m trialing that, you aren’t your thoughts, (you aren’t your emotions or the meat suit you’re in) you are the entity that observes. So noticing my thoughts. That, plus, rumination being a fight or flight system being activated, that’s trying to save you, I remind it that it isn’t saving me. (But I don’t think that second part is a healthy attempt to dissolve it). I get so fed up with it playing in my head, getting louder and louder, repeating my mistakes, I used to swear at it. But that can become problematic. But it crushes my self worth! And gives me crushing social anxiety. So I need it to stop.

          The patient way is calming down your nervous system and doing some nervous system regulation, just stuff that deactivates your fight or flight and tells your nervous system you are safe, crisis averted. Being conscious of things that activate your nervous system, like rushing, not resting, distracting yourself from reality all the time (cough cough, my phone addiction cough cough), making sure your needs are met, etc. Just taking a minute to be, just exist, is actually super powerful in telling your nervous system you’re safe, doing it more often here and there, can be powerful enough to rewire stress levels. That’s meditation / mindfulness, if someone had told me the why, earlier, I’d have taken all of that stuff way more seriously.

          So, in short, a little bit of something regulating, depending on my mood and option availability at the time.

          I say to myself, I notice I’m doing that thinking thing again. Take some deep breaths, stare at some pretty scenery or the sky, notice how my feet feel touching the earth, remind myself I’m safe, and capable, don’t need to worry about that any more. Stare at something pretty a little more.