We are offering a weekly blog series with a collection of diverse and effective coping techniques and exercises that can help reduce stress, improve mental and emotional well-being, and perhaps make you even more effective in achieving your individual goals. Check back every Wednesday for the newest skill of the week. Try them all out and find what works best for you.
This week, Kendra Doukas, LMFT recommends the Dial Exercise:
“I love using this dial exercise because it reminds us that we are in control even when we are flooded by negative emotion. We cannot control the way we feel but we can control our behaviors.”
Close your eyes and picture a dial in your mind that goes up to 10. With 0 being no stress at all and 10 being the most stressed you could feel.
Notice how your dial reads- are you at a 3 ½? Are you at 7? For example, if you are at 7, then notice how you are at 7 and where you are feeling it in your body.
Take a few deep breaths and see if you can turn the dial down to one notch. Don’t try and turn it down any further, just see if you can get it to go one notch lower.
Once you have accomplished that, try and turn the knob down two more notches. Successful? Try to turn it down to a 3 ½. Now see how low you can turn your dial. Once you feel centered and calm feel free to play around with your dial turning it up and down as you wish.
