By Matt Christian, LCSW
Grounding Exercise:
We all experience times in which we feel stressed, overwhelmed, checked-out or just “off.” Fortunately, there are techniques to help restore balance. Mindfulness techniques can help relax your body and mind and bring you back to the present moment. Follow along with this guided grounding exercise and come back to it whenever you need to pause and recenter yourself!
Mindfulness Meditation:
Using guided meditations can be very helpful, especially when first exploring mindfulness meditation. Regular mindfulness meditation has been shown to help improve focus and memory, assist in reducing anxiety and depression, and manage physical pain. Studies of meditators have shown changes in areas of the brain associated with emotion regulation and self-awareness.
This short, guided meditation can be a great entry point as it utilizes multiple senses to help us rest our awareness in the present moment.
Thought Defusion:
Have you noticed how racing or intrusive thoughts can lead to suffering? One reason for this is that we become “fused” with our thoughts. This means that we can’t separate ourselves from our thoughts. We get stuck in our head, and the thoughts become our reality. Thought defusion is an important technique in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It helps us develop the ability to take a step back and observe our thoughts without getting caught in them.
This guided thought defusion exercise uses guided imagery to help us step back and become “unstuck” from the thoughts that bother us.
If you or a loved one is having a difficult time or would like to explore practices to develop a greater sense of wellbeing, please reach out! Our clinicians at Insight Into Action Therapy are here to provide these tools and many others.
