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If you only do one thing
I
f you’re craving time out, feeling
a rising wave of panic or even
just being unnecessarily snappy,
it may be your mind telling you that
it needs some alone time. But this
doesn’t have to mean shutting
yourself away, as psychotherapist
Nick Davies* explains...STOP MULTITASKING
‘Focus on achieving one thing
at a time – multitasking can create
confusion and lead to mistakes,
which will leave you feeling more
overwhelmed and stressed than
before,’ explains Nick.FOCUS ON YOUR BREATHING
‘It’s import to breathe
diaphragmatically – we do this when
danger has gone and it activates the“parasympathetic nervous system”
in the brain, which is responsible for
returning the body to rest, relaxation
and recovery,’ explains Nick. ‘Push
your stomach out to breathe all
the way down to the bottom of
your lungs, hold the breath
then let it out like a loud sigh
and continue for 10 breaths.’FIND APPRECIATION
‘Take a moment to look
for the smaller things that you
appreciate about your life, as
gratitude is so important,’ says
Nick. ‘Learn to express your
feelings earlier and calmly before
things get on top of you to prevent
a build-up of emotion you won’t
be able to handle.’GIVE YOUR BRAIN A BREAK!
FINDING
YOURSELF ON
THE VERGE OF
A PANIC ATTACK?
As soon as you recognise the symptoms
(shortness of breath, fast heart rate,
shaking), Nick recommends making your
body go as limp as possible. ‘Relax every
muscle from head to your toes,’ he
advises. ‘Ignore every negative,
overwhelming thought. Focus
on this relaxation and
your breathing.’