I’m a big believer in each individual finding their own resources to help them feel more in control of their mental health.
Calming the nervous system:
- Try the following breathing technique. The video provides the rationale and instructions but you can take it with you and use it on the bus, when you’re stuck in traffic, trying to get to sleep, or waiting to go into an important meeting or exam. Five minutes gives it a proper chance to have an effect but even a few breaths can come in handy!
- Yoga has many benefits for the nervous system especially when combined with controlled breathing. Click here to visit my favourite online yoga teacher: “Yoga with Adriene.”
- This is a guided relaxation I like by hypnotherapist, Chloe Brotheridge:
Training the mind:
- This is a link to my favourite secular mindfulness podcast. It’s very accessible and there are a selection of people giving 30 minute guided meditations so you can find a voice you like. It’s from the Mindful Awareness Research Centre connected to UCLA : http://marc.ucla.edu/meditation-at-the-hammer
Increase your self compassion:
- Follow this link to discover some fantastic guided meditations and exercises to help you be kinder to yourself.
http://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/
Working with difficult emotions:
- A guided meditation to help feel emotions in the body and increase our ability to tolerate difficult emotions.
http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/softensootheallow_cleaned.mp3