IWP Emotional-Mindfulness and Regulation Tools
- Begin slow diaphragmatic breathing for two minutes.
- Count of six on the inhale (keep chest still, breath deeply into your belly, fill up the belly like a balloon).
- Count of eight on the exhale (slowly constrict and fully empty the belly on the exhale, imagine squeezing all water out of a sponge).
- Identify your immediate feelings.
- Ex. I’m feeling anger, scared, frustrated, annoyed, weak, fragile, hollow, nervous.
- Write down your feelings:
- ___________________________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________________________
- Remember that avoidance, resistance and nonacceptance fuels unhealthy emotions. NAN™ your feelings by normalizing them, accepting them, and not judging them. Spend one minute repeating the following statements silently to yourself or out loud:
- These feelings are normal to have.
- I accept my feelings as they are.
- I do not judge myself for feeling this way.
- Bring your curiosity, questions and a contemplative mindset to dig down deeper to the emotions below your surface feelings.
- Ex. I’m actually feeling a loss of control, sadness, despair, pain, helplessness, hopelessness, or fear of illness or death.
- Continue to identify deeper emotions and feelings:
- ___________________________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________________________
- Use Body Scan techniques to explore where the feelings and emotions exist within the body.
- Ex. I’m feeling these emotions in my chest, stomach, neck, and head.
- Where else do you feel the physical symptoms of your emotions?
- ___________________________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________________________
- Use Object-Relations and visualization techniques to turn your emotions into an object, so you can externalize them and experience them being outside and separate from you.
- Ex. These emotions feel like a big, red, solid brick sitting heavily on my chest. Visualize lifting the brick from your chest and placing it next to you.
- Ex. My emotions feel and sound like a runaway freight train. Visualize a train rolling by you and disappearing from view as the sound diminishes.
- Describe your emotions as objects:
- ___________________________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________________________
- Spend three to five minutes visualizing the objects as being separate from you. Place the objects next to you or watch the objects move away from you.
- Use Self-Directing statements to connect to your strength, emotional resilience and to encourage yourself to prepare to let go.
- Ex. I’m going to just sit with this. I’m not going to resist these feelings. I’m letting these feelings go soon. I’m not fearful of these emotions. I know these feelings too well. I know they will pass. I’m going to imagine what it will look and feel like to let go of this critical, harmful, or fearful narrative.
- What Self-Directing statements did you come up with?
- ___________________________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________________________
- Use Self-Affirming statements to create the emotional experience and feelings that you want, need and desire.
- Ex. I feel safe, secure and grounded. I can let go of control with ease. I don’t require myself to be a hero right now. I appreciate, love and respect my humanness. I am a strong, resilient, and wholesome person. I feel calmer and more relaxed now. I am a healthy person. I only treat myself and my body with compassion, kindness and patience. Letting go of my old narratives feels healthy, productive and good.
- What Self-Affirming statements did you come up with?
- ___________________________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________________________
- Lastly, create intentional Gratitude Statements about your overall emotional experience.
- Ex. I am grateful to take this time and to remind myself that it is ok to feel scared, lost, powerless or helpless at times. I am grateful to connect with all of my emotions. I am grateful that this experience reminded me that I can identify and observe my emotions without needing to run from them. I am grateful that I can visualize being separate from my emotions, and I can direct myself to calm down or to let go of any emotion. I am grateful for the opportunity to slow down, breath, and to see myself with more compassion, kindness and patience.
- What are you grateful for?
- ___________________________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________________________
©Ryan Lewis Counseling / Integrative Wellness PLLC 2019
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