Ways to calm stress in 5 minutes or less

11. Try the emotional freedom technique (EFT)

Tapping or psychological acupressure is a specific methodic sequence that involves tapping specific meridian points (areas of the body energy flows through, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine) and reciting setup phrases that will help you acknowledge issues and accept yourself.

EFT in 5 steps

  1. Identify what’s causing you stress.
  2. On a scale of 0 to 10, write down how intense the issue is (10 being the highest).
  3. Create a setup phrase that addresses your problem. For example: “Even though I’m stressed about this deadline, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
  4. Tap on the nine meridian points (eyebrow, side of eyes, under eyes, under nose, chin, start of collarbone, and under arm) seven times. Repeat the phrase with each tapping point. Do this sequence two to three times.
  5. Rate your final intensity to see if your stress level has gone down to 0. If not, repeat.

12. Talk in third person

Whether it’s to yourself or with a friend, talking can help tamper down your stress level. Yep, talking to yourself or about yourself in third person is a form of exerting self-control over negative emotions.

According to researchers, “Referring to yourself in the third person leads people to think about themselves more similar to how they think about others.”

Doing this can help you distance yourself from the experience or situation. The best part, though? It requires less effort.




 

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