Feeling frazzled? Discover 4 easy ways to regain some stability.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or emotional, it’s often hard to think straight. Even if you’re familiar with techniques that help to restore calm, it can be tricky to call them to mind when you need them. This is where simple methods with an easy acronym come in handy.
TIPP skills (see below for a description of what each letter stands for) cover four practical ways to send powerful signals to your brain that all is well, reducing the intensity of your feelings very quickly.
Sound complicated? It isn’t. In fact, TIPP skills include splashing cold water on your face, moving your body, bringing awareness to your breath, and clenching and relaxing your muscles. All easy, all practical, all effective. And all things you can do in everyday settings and situations to manage negative or difficult feelings.
You could use them to reduce anxiety before a test at school, calm yourself after an argument with a sibling at home, or quieten swirling thoughts if you’re struggling to sleep.
Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself that what you need is something to TIPP the balance from chaos to calm. Then run through the suggestions over the page and see what happens.
Try these TIPP techniques to soothe stress & restore balance
T is for temperature
You’ve probably heard the phrases ‘Feeling hot and bothered’ or ‘Hot under the collar’. They’re used
to describe a person who’s tense or under pressure.
Perhaps you’ve felt sweaty or clammy during a stressful event or a confrontation. Lowering your body temperature can be a speedy way to signal to your brain that there’s nothing to be worried about.
This could be as simple as going to the bathroom and splashing cold water on your face, taking a moment to stand outside in the fresh air, holding a cool, damp cloth or ice pack across your forehead or even sucking on an ice-cube. Try one of these ways to cool down for 30 seconds and see if it makes a difference to how you feel.
I is for intense exercise
You don’t have to be great at sport to use this method. It just involves raising your heart rate for a couple of minutes. Sometimes, when you’re stressed or overwhelmed, it can make you feel physically
tense or unsettled.
Movement can help, particularly if you’re frustrated, angry, or need to let off steam. Exercising directs attention away from the thoughts in your head and into your body, giving you something to focus on. It also causes your brain to release feel-good chemicals known as endorphins.
You could try a quick burst of sprinting, jogging on the spot, or star jumps. Or put your headphones on and dance energetically to your favourite music, bounce on a trampoline, or play with your dog. Anything that makes you feel out of breath counts as intense exercise. Don’t overdo it, though – just a couple of minutes is all it takes to make a difference.
P is for progressive muscle relaxation
This is particularly useful for relaxing at night if you’re struggling to sleep or if you’re feeling anxious in a place where you can’t easily move or leave, such as in the middle of a class at school or sitting on a plane.
It involves contracting the muscles in one part of your body, holding for around five seconds, then releasing. It’s another way to tell your body to relax and decrease your physical response to stress.
Work your way around your body, tensing and relaxing. You could start off at your shoulders and work down to your toes or vice versa. Take each part of your body in turn and really focus on how it feels as you hold and then let go. Try saying the word ‘relax’ in your mind as you release.
P is for paced breathing
There’s so much power in breathing exercises, and you can practise this one anytime, anywhere, without anyone even knowing what you’re doing. The key is to breathe out more slowly and for longer than you breathe in – literally pacing yourself with your breath. This sends a strong signal to your body that you’re safe, which slows your heart rate and dials down your emotional responses.
Start by taking some long, deep breaths, drawing the breath right down into your stomach. A good tip is to check that your belly is rising and falling, as well as your chest (you can do this by placing one hand on your belly and the other on your heart).
Then you can try counting to pace your breathing. You might start with inhaling for two to four seconds and exhaling for four to six. You can make your breaths longer and slower as you become more comfortable (see Issue 41 for more breathing exercises).84
WORDS: JADE BEECROFT
ILLUSTRATIONS: ALISSA THALER
This article was originally published under the title TIPPs to Ease Tension in Issue 44 – With the Flow. You can get this issue here to enjoy more mindful inspiration.
