Self-Regulation: Quick Calming Exercises

Anxiety, panic, post traumatic stress, and overwhelming emotional states can all create an internal frenzy on our nervous system. Often it can send us into trauma responses of freeze, flight, fight, or fawn. The first thing to go “off-line” when our system is in a state of internal trauma is our neocortex. The neocortex is the region of the brain responsible for logic, reasoning, problem solving, and higher-order thinking skills. To state it plainly, when you are stressed out, you are not in your right mind. You are not able to think clearly. You become dysregulated due to the cortisol, a stress hormone, coursing through your system.

The most important goal when you find yourself in one of these states of being is to get back to a more regulated condition. There are many tricks to help you become more grounded. The following are some of my favorite anxiety hacks.     

5-4-3-2-1

This first exercise uses the five senses to help distract the brain from the panic and bring the attention back to the present moment. You can do this anywhere. Begin by looking at your environment and name five things you can see. Then observe four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and finally one thing you can taste. By the time you have gone through all of your senses you will feel more present in the moment.

Vergence

There is the saying, “The eyes are the window to your soul.” I can’t confirm that premise, but I do know that your eyes have a direct link to your nervous system. Your ocular muscle connects to the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the nerve most associated with calming your entire body. 

To practice vergence, hold your finger or a pen at eye level about six to twelve inches in front of your face. Look at the top of your finger or pen. Then glance beyond your finger in the same line of sight to the farthest point in the room. Allow your eyes to alternate between these two vision points every three to ten seconds. Do this for a minute and you will immediately get a sense of calm. 

Rapid Eye Movements

Here is another tool that stimulates eye movement in order to work the calming vagus nerve. Hold your head still and find a spot on your right and then a spot on your left side. Allow your eyes to move side to side, continuing to find those spots until your eyes tire. Once your eyes feel tired, squeeze them tight, then open them, three times. You will begin to feel yourself getting calmer.

Four Square Breathing, 4-7-8 Breathing, and Hand Tracing

Breathing is a terrific way to regain calm. Here are three different techniques that send oxygen to the brain signaling the nervous system to chill while also distracting the cognitive parts of our brain away from the stressful thoughts. 

In four square breathing you create a mental square with your breath. Breathe in through your nose to the count of four, hold your breath for the count of four, breathe out through your mouth to the count of four, and repeat the holding of your breath to the count of four. Continue this pattern until you feel yourself calm down. 

4-7-8 breathing is similar to the above exercise, but utilizes a different counting measure. Breathe in through your nose to the count of four, hold your breath for a count of seven, and then breathe out through your mouth to the count of 8. You can continue this until you feel your state of anxiety decrease. 

The last exercise makes use of your hands and your breath. Hold either one of your hands out in front of you. Take the opposite index finger and start at the base of thumb out in front of you. Use your index finger to trace up your thumb while breathing in through your nose. As you continue the tracing down to the valley between your thumb and index finger, breathe out through your mouth. Continue this tracing up and down all of your fingers on one hand and then repeat of the other hand. You will begin to experience a more relaxed state. 

I hope these techniques help you regulate your emotional states so you can get your neocortex back online and progress through whatever may be creating stress in your life.