Healthy Healers Course

Sometimes, under stress, our mind gets all tangled up with too many thoughts.  We may over think or analyze a past or future event.  We can get stuck on harsh words spoken by you or someone else.    Does this ever happen to you?

Sometimes it is hard to turn off all the negative chatter going on in your mind

We learned from week two that the brain sends signals to the body when under stress.  The signals go both ways.  The body can also send signals back to the brain, to help “quiet the mind” so it can refocus on the task at hand.

One way to untangle the mind and stop the negative chatter is to switch the focus into your body.

This can be done quickly through a focus on slow deep breaths or doing a scan of your body. Let’s try both.

Do a Body Scan Start by focusing on your senses. Notice what's going inside, outside, and around you.  Notice the sounds, temperature, the taste in your mouth - what is your body telling you? Now listen to the guided body scan. Click > Play below to go through the exercise right now. BodyScan.mp3 What changes did you notice after this exercise?  (How did this exercise make you feel?? How did your body change?” )

Another way to untangle the mind and to quiet the inner chatter is to "be with your breath”

Pay attention to how you are breathing. Click play > below to listen Breathing.mp3

Breathing exercises encourage you to breathe in different ways. We will explore some of those techniques later in your homework. There are several websites, free videos, and apps to help you become more conscious of your breath.

Answer this question in your eJournal: "What observations or changes did you notice before and after your body scan or breath check activity?" 1. Click here to go to your eJournal (Note that you must go to the eJournal for your Group).      eJournal Group 1      eJournal Group 2 2. Click on 'edit' and make your eJournal entry. 3. Click on Save changes

Shift into Pause

When we stop to "sense our body” by giving attention to the breath or doing a body-scan - we shift into "PAUSE”. This gives the mind time to settle or "re-set” and get out of any "spiral-thinking.” This allows the "upstairs brain” to get re-engaged and decide what to do next. Both the breathing and body scan techniques can also be used when you are reacting emotionally to something. Remember the old saying, "Take a breath and count to 10?”