This is one of my favorite quick coping strategies I have had in my bag of tricks for so long I’m not sure where I picked it up. S-T-O-P is for those moments when you feel like the day is whirling out of control, nothing is going as planned and you feel like you’re about to burst. It is also great when your internal state, regardless of the environment around you, is feeling this way too. Here is how it works:
S- Stop.
Just pause what your doing.
T- Take a breath (or a couple).
Big inhale and loooong audible exhale. Sigh it out.
O- Objectively Observe.
Begin looking around your environment and start labeling what you see. “Phone, water, light, tree, bird, car, pink, apple, pen” keep going until you feel yourself begin to settle. Your present in the now. Sometimes this takes longer than you want but keep going until breathing feels easy and those intense emotions are easing.
P- Proceed or Plan.
Sometimes you can simply carry on. But sometimes it can feel better to pause a little longer and set out a strategy for moving forward that will feel good, show kindness toward yourself and tip the scales in your favor. You decide.
S.T. O. P — will you give it a try?
In Health,
Hilary
