YouAlberta
As a student, I have to manage many priorities, including balancing my health and school. Sometimes, during peak stressful times, focusing on priorities can be challenging, especially when distress or a crisis comes up.
I try to bring my mind to the present so I can focus on my goals and be the best version of myself while problem-solving through crises.
Today, I want to share 5 practical ways I manage distress in the moment. Trying out one or a combination of techniques can be helpful.
Engaging your senses through 54321.
54321 is a mindfulness technique that helps me stay grounded in the present moment, especially when I start to notice myself panicking. This exercise can be done by yourself or by watching a video online. You can also guide yourself with the help of a friend or family member.
Firstly, try to situate yourself in a calm space and think of 5 things around you that you can see visually. Notice them — the colour, the patterns, what the object looks like — and name it out loud.
Secondly, try to focus on four things around you that you can touch and try feeling them if you can.
Next, three things you can hear. Next, two things you can smell and lastly, one thing you can taste.
Example: If I’m sitting in a library and starting to lose myself in distress or panic, I would look around and notice my white tote bag, the teen fantasy books on the shelf, the scanning machine to check books and the words written in black ink on my paper.
Next, I would try feeling the rough edges of my tote bag, the fluffy and soft sweater with my hands, my cold iced tea with the tips of my fingers and my feet against the socks or the carpet. Then, I might focus on the sounds of children trying to read out loud, conversations of friends gossiping and the white noise in the background.
Next, I might try to smell the new pages of my textbook and see what my perfume smells like. Lastly, I might try to taste my iced drink.
Control your temperature.
Sometimes, during distress mode, our body can be affected in drastic ways. For example, I notice my face turning red with heat and the temperature of my body rising. To cool down, I like to drink cold water or even splash my face with cold water. Sometimes, I’ll feel the coolness of my metal bottles against my face or trace the bottle with my fingers. This can be especially helpful to soothe myself or provide relief to the panic I’m experiencing.
Remember to breathe.
Sometimes, during panic, I lose my breath and start hyperventilating. To bring myself to a normal breathing pace, I like to trace the outline of my fingers, breathe in when tracing up the finger and breathe out when tracing down the finger.
Tracing provides me visual cues for when to breathe in and out, which can be really helpful when losing track of your breathing. There are many breathing techniques out there, so try to work with what’s best for you!
Try progressive muscle relaxation (PMR).
If you notice yourself experiencing anxiety symptoms in your body, which, for me, can look like tightness in the chest or tension in the neck and abdomen, you can try PMR to provide relief and release the stress from your body. PMR focuses on tightening your muscles and releasing them slowly to free yourself from the hold of anxiety. There are many guided videos online to help you through this process. Sometimes, I just like to tighten all my muscles together, hold for a few seconds and release. After experimenting with PMR, I created my own way to experience relief, and so can you, based on what feels right to your body.
Activate your digestive system.
During stressful times, your body activates your fight/flight system, which focuses on responding to danger. This is an evolutionary system our body uses to protect us from harm, such as a bear. But when real danger is not around, and you’re panicking due to an exam or assignment deadline, your body can still put you in the same panic mode.
During this time, your digestive system is inactive. Reactivating your digestive system by chewing gum or eating candy can refocus the calming system of the body. I like to use this simple and effective technique to help shift my body and mind towards the calm.
Need support? There are services available on your campus to help.