Don't stew over it

I wasn't intending on having such a philosophical  few days of blogging but I had such an important day at the Haven yesterday that I couldn't possibly not share the news. I used another of my free sessions on a mind and body therapy session and I'm here to sing it's praises. It really honed in on the fact that not only is it true that you are what you eat; but also you are what you think. We have become so used to the idea of stress as being a normal emotion that we are ignoring quite how bad it is for the mind AND THE BODY. 

Although I knew it in the very back of my mind that worrying is a ridiculous past time, try telling me that when it's too late and I've already worked myself in to a tizz about something probably quite petty.

Well, no more! I have learnt a few methods of preventing stress before it settles in. You can actually trick your brain in to thinking you're happy for one, so larf out loud once in a while. Even if your not feeling so giddy, blue even; your brain will release happy hormones just like that. A freebie! It now feels like by not having a giggle it would really be looking at the gift horse in the mouth and I never like doing that.

I have mentioned the Emotional Freedom Technique before, but only to say that it has suddenly found itself in my vocabulary and I've no idea what the 'ell it is. I have now learnt that it combines acupuncture points and affirmation, a very effective tool to reduce stress involving more tricking then treating. Instead of stewing over something, allowing the body to know that your worried and releasing damaging stress hormones at the same time, look at the issue. Head. On. 

Here's how and I warn you it does sound absurd: Grade how worried, scared or angry you are about something from one to ten (ten being boiling point). Now comes the weird part... Think of a 'setup phrase' e.g. (Mine are related to my cancer but it can be absolutely anything) 'Although I am really worried about my next lot of chemotherapy not working and making me feel ill, I love myself and I know it's doing me good'. It usually goes in sets of three so from there: 'Even though I am terrified that I'm putting my body in someone else's hands and feel stressed, I love and accept myself and I know the chemo is doing me good'. Then 'Even though I'm so scared of not being able to finish the treatment because I will get ill, I accept how I feel and love myself anyway'. 

As silly as you may feel, by saying this whilst tapping the following points you're releasing your body's natural energy and allowing it to flow freely. Say the whole thing once whilst tapping the side of your hand, below your little finger. Then repeat the phrases loosely, adding if you want to, whilst tapping the base of your eyebrows, on the bone below your temples, under your eyes, under the nose, on your chin where the crease is, under your collar bone, under your arm (in line with the nipple), and finally top of your head.

Then grade again how worried, scared or angry you are. Really look at how your feeling. You'll be tap, tap, tapping whilst eating your hat from now on because guaranteed the grading will have lowered, even it's only by one.