preoccupations

three senses exercise

Anxiety and depression are moderated by the cingulate cortex in the middle of the brain where the right and left lobes lie alongside each other. The cingulate cortex hi-jacks resources in brain and body to narrow our focus on a threat. It preoccupies us with the threat.

This exercise disengages from the paralyzing grip of preoccupations and racing thoughts by rotating attention between the three higher senses. Awareness of the outside world returns and preoccupations are seen in a wider perspective as we come to our senses.

silently or aloud:

Name something you SEE

Name something you HEAR

Name something you FEEL in your body

Name 2 things you SEE

Name 2 things you HEAR

Name 2 things you FEEL in your body

Name 3 things you SEE

Name 3 things you HEAR

Name 3 things you FEEL in your body

Name 4 things you SEE

Name 4 things you HEAR

Name 4 things you FEEL in your body

Name 5 things you SEE

Name 5 things you HEAR

Name 5 things you FEEL in your body

for variation:

alternate more rapidly or alternate between one thought feeling and image.

let go

Inspect and welcome each thought as it comes and then let it go. Bin it in an imaginary bin perhaps in the back of the head or outside the body or file it for later reference in a place that thoughts go that are not currently in use.

reschedule
Instead of avoiding or indefinitely postponing something that is too uncomfortable to face, note it and set a day and time to consider it or make a decision or do something about it. It is then utside rather then going around and around in the back of the mind taking up valuable mental capacity and causing unease or outright stress.

If it is written on paper or noted in the diary it is outside ones-self ready to be taken up again when there is space to deal with it with more effectively.