This weekly blog series offers a collection of diverse and effective coping techniques that can reduce stress, improve mental and emotional well-being, and perhaps make you even more effective in achieving your individual goals. Check back every Monday morning for the newest skill of the week.

“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.”             ~ Kendra Doukas, LMFT

Dial Exercise

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 a 3 ½? Are you a 7? For example, if you are a 7 then notice that you are a 7 and where you are feeling it.

Take a few deep breaths and see if you can turn the dial down to one notch under 7. 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 6 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.