The first step when confronted with a stressful situation is to remove yourself physically from the stressor. Doing this will give you time away from the stressor to process how you feel. If you remain in physical proximity to something that causes you stress, you will not have the mental capacity to focus on your thoughts. If the stressor is a person and you do not take a physical time out, you may lash out irrationally at them, whether verbally or physically. I keep emphasizing “physical” because at no point should you distance yourself emotionally. If you are engaged in a conversation and want to continue the conversation once you cool off, consider saying, “I need to take a time out. Can we continue the conversation in 30 minutes?”Once you are away from the stressor, take some deep breaths, sit down, and allow yourself to feel. If you are angry, be angry. If you are sad, feel free to cry. Feel whatever feelings come to you—do not suppress them. Try writing about it, or talking to someone who is farremoved from the situation. Make sure you allow yourself 20 minutes to calm down. This is not just an arbitrary number. It takes the body 20 minutes to get out of “fight or flight” mode.
―
Mindful Occupation: Rising Up Without Burning Out
(via purplebuddhaproject)
