Tips for anyone with anxiety/hypersensitivity/extreme emotion

[SaikiK]

TIP Skills: Changing Your Body Chemistry

To reduce extreme emotion fast

1. Tip the Temperature of your face with cold water*

(to calm down fast)

• Holding your breath, put your face in a bowl of cold water,

or hold a cold pack (or zip-lock bag of cold water) on your eyes and cheeks.

• Hold for 30 seconds. Keep water above 10°C.

2. Intense exercise

(to calm down your body when it is revved up by emotion)

• Engage in intense exercise, if only for a short while.

• Expend your body’s stored up physical energy by running, walking fast, jumping,

playing basketball, lifting weights, etc.

3. Paced breathing

(pace your breathing by slowing it down)

• Breathe deeply into your belly.

• Slow your pace of inhaling and exhaling way down (on average, five to six breaths

per minute).

• Breathe out more slowly than you breathe in (for example, 5 seconds in and 7

seconds out).

4. Paired muscle relaxation

(to calm down by pairing muscle relaxation with breathing out)

• While breathing into your belly deeply tense your body muscles (not so much as

to cause a cramp).

• Notice the tension in your body.

• While breathing out, say the word “Relax” in your mind.

• Let go of the tension.

• Notice the difference in your body.