Christmas, Chanukkah and New Year's Eve are approaching now that Thanksgiving is over. I am hoping you had a wonderful holiday. If you did experience any stress or overwhelm, did you remember to use the Quick Coherence technique I gave you in my last blog entry? It is amazing how well that helps. Also, did you remember to take slow, long deep breaths? If not, this is a perfect time of year to learn these techniques. They take you from fight or flight to rest and digest leaving you in a much more calm state. I didn't go into detail last blog about breathing but it is such an important thing to learn to help you manage your emotional state. We cannot control others but we can control our responses to their actions. Breathing in to the count of 5 and out to the count of 5 sends a message to your subconscious "I am safe; everything is okay." It is helpful to get out of fight or flight. Do that for at least one minute , although you can do it as long as you want. One client this past week told me he heard the same breathing tip on a TV show that mentioned they teach this same technique to Navy SEALS. Obviously, it is powerful. My client, at first,  thought the technique wasn't working for him. When we talked, I realized he was counting in to the number 5 but still breathing in more quickly--his lungs were filled completely by the number 2 and then he was holding his breath, which only increases fight or flight. Once he was able to fix this, he could notice stress lessening within the minute of breathing. I teach all my clients to use red lights as a signal to take long, slow deep breaths. If you are at a desk job, perhaps you can set a reminder on your phone to stop and take a minute to breathe deeply every one to two hours. And, of course, during stressful holiday situations, use the stressor as a signal to breathe slowly and deeply. It will help! Another quick way to help reduce stress is to realize that the feelings of anxiety, stress or overwhelm are there to help protect you from something. Try this technique to help. Take a big breath in, hold briefly, and as you exhale slowly think to yourself relax. Repeat this...another big breath in, hold briefly, and as you exhale repeat to yourself relax. And one last time...breathe in, filling your lungs completely and as you exhale, think to yourself relax. Now put your hand where you feel the emotion in your body. It is different for each person and may even be different for you each time you do this technique. Rate the intensity of the emotion on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the strongest. Make a note of the intensity. Now the following may seem silly to you but try it anyway. With your hand on the spot where you feel the anxiety or overwhelm in your body, send it love and gratitude and just let the emotion be there without judging it. Remember, it has a good intention for you, perhaps to keep you safe or protected. After you send it love and thanks, rate the sensation again. Did it change? Changes can happen very quickly. Repeat the process. Also, did it move? Follow the emotion by moving your hand if it traveled. As silly as this sounds, it works and is effective. There are so many tools I give my clients to use. Do you have frequent feelings of anxiousness, stress or overwhelm? Hypnotherapy can likely help you achieve the inner peace and happiness you are looking for. Your consultation with me is free. Have you suffered enough? Call me at 407-632-0600 today to start living the life the you've dreamed.