by Kay Klinkenborg, Church of the Palms UCC
Regardless of the origins of feeling anxious or jumpy, there is short-focused exercise that can alter your current experience with a emotional response. (Most effective with anxiety, but can be beneficial with other agitating thoughts, like obsessive thinking, fear, etc.)
The beauty is that you can do it anytime, anywhere…even in public or a meeting and no one knows you are doing it. It is most successful if you can step out of the room or change locations in your current room…for ‘movement’ is a key neurological component to bring about change of thoughts.
Step One: Move some part of you body three times in a row; preferable in a different way each time. Capture in your mind your thoughts and say them internally or aloud with each movement.
Step Two: Look at three different things in your environment; with each object say it in your head or aloud.
Step Three: Listen for three different sounds in your environment (it can even be your breathing); with each sound say it in your head or aloud.
Your body…your mind…your choice. That is the motto of taking charge of emotions that are distressing you. Please note this works primarily for anxious feelings, jumpy or edgy. I would not recommend it using it to shut down your tears if crying because of grief, a loss, or hurt feelings. This is a tool to use so you can stay focused on your tasks at hand.
Should you find some initial relief with these three steps, repeat the three steps and go deeper into being in charge of managing your anxiety.
Kay F. Klinkenborg, MA
Spiritual Companion
Member Spiritual Directors International
Retired: RN; LMFT; Clinical Member AAMFT
Author, poet, adult education facilitator