









States of Being
Center for Coaching & Leading
Founding Director, Linda Belans, Ed.D.


Belans clearly elaborates the essential equity questions that should be at the heart of every decision a school leader makes. – Dr. Mahalia Hines, President, Common Ground Foundation; Board Member, Obama Foundation; former Board Member, Chicago Board of Education
A Process To Interrupt & Transform Unwelcome Feelings
Linda Belans, EdD.
Statesofbeing.net
A Process To Interrupt & Transform Unwelcome Feelings***
Anchored in What you resist not only persists, but will grow in size. – Dr. Carl Jung
Step 1: Notice, identify and name the unwelcome feeling you are experiencing. Examples: fear, anxiety, anger…
Step 2: Smile – and feel the smile – in recognition and gratitude that you are capable of
feeling beneficial feelings because you have felt them before, even if briefly. Recall
one of those times.*
Step 3: Breathe: Inhale through your nose (if possible) for 3 seconds. Hold the breath for 4
seconds. Exhale completely for 5 seconds. Repeat a few times until you feel calmer
and/or activated. **
Step 4: Name the beneficial feeling you want to experience.
Step 5: Silently name the feeling as you repeat Steps 2 and 3.
Dose several times a day.
* Genuine smiling (the Duchenne smile), and feeling the smile, play a role in releasing hormones
including mood-enhancing endorphins, stress-reducing cortisol, adrenaline, and the
neurotransmitter dopamine that activate your brain’s pleasurable reward center. Feeling the
Duchenne smile can also lower blood pressure.
** Note: All intentional breathing can be productive. Additionally, alternate nostril breathing can
rebalance the nervous system: The left nostril calms the body, the right nostril activates it.
*** Please note: This 5-Step Process is not designed to replace a therapy practice you may be
engaged with. Please consult your practitioner to make sure it is compatible with your
prescribed process.