Stress First Aid

[John in Leeds]

Most travellers are very self reliant and therefore the stress of modern society has far less effect. Sometimes however we can get into a hole where there seems to be no escape and just want to give up. What follows are 3 tips that I have found very helpful in the past so I hope they may be of use to others.

Stress Busting First Aid - My three top techniques


Stop the Pain
When you just cannot get an issue or problem out of your head it is impossible to sleep or carry out any other functions properly. Use this technique to hammer it down or just to allow your mind to put it in perspective.


Focus on the issue or problem, the more you feel your stress levels rise the better as you are really where the problem is. Keeping it in your mind then look to your extreme left with your eyes only. Keeping your head still, sweep your gaze to the extreme right taking one to two seconds to traverse. There is no need to focus your eyes on any individual item as it crosses your field of view until you reach the extreme left or right of your vision. Do this repeatedly for 30 seconds or until the pain stops and the issue or problem recedes to manageable levels. Repeat as required. I don't know why this works it just does and can be used to stop the problem dead. You are then able to go on to technique 2 to get some sleep or rest.


Get some sleep.
With worries in your head it is impossible to sleep or rest. This just compounds the problem but can be helped by a little concentrated mind exercise.


Relax your body and get as comfortable as possible. Close your eyes and prepare for sleep. Now focus all your attention on your breathing. Gently and slowly, breathing as normally as possible listen to the sounds of your breathing. Feel the the coolness of the air as it flows into your nostrils, the quiet rush as it streams through your sinuses and down into your chest. Feel your chest rise and your diaphragm pull down. Then feel your chest relax and push the warmed stream of breath out through the same channels, this creating a warmed sensation over your top lip. Repeat each breath and gently explore and feel every sensation. All the time your mind will be trying to divert to other issues (the ones that keep you awake), when this happens just refocus and restart the attention on your breathing again, gently and firmly, don't let go until you fall asleep.




Get through the day
When you have so many things to contend with through the day it is impossible to clearly prioritise when you are stressed. This just makes things worse and worse until you just cease to function at all constructively. This technique will get things back on track if used slowly and methodically.


To set your day in order just prioritise the very first thing you must do and LEAVE the rest. Focus ONLY on that next simple task. On waking it could just be to turn off the alarm clock, yes it is that simple. When that task is complete go to the next simple one, get out of bed and wash. When that task is complete the next one will clearly suggest itself, get dressed. The next go down stairs and eat breakfast. Steadfastly keep to the very next task and NO further until that task is completed. You will come to the point where you have to decide what task to do next, treat that as a task and deal with it ONLY when you have got to it and NOT BEFORE. Astonishingly the day will take it's course and your stress levels will reduce markedly. As this happens the task groups can be expanded and joined until you are back in control again. Just don't rush taking on more things ahead until you are really comfortable.


These techniques do not address the underlying causes of your stress but will allow you the space and strength to attempt to deal with them. Sometimes the only way to deal with a problem is to think of the very worst that can happen and then ACCEPT it. Then the only way is UP