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.