Waiting for your first appointment can feel like and eternity and thinking about the session itself makes many people nervous. Will my therapist think I'm crazy? Will she know what I really need? What if my symptoms get too bad before the session time arrives? What should I expect from therapy?...It's OK, and quite common to be uneasy.
Let's make sure your experience is less stressful with three simple techniques you can use at home.
Just Breathe: Sounds too simple to be true doesn't it? Hundreds of studies with relaxation techniques and several thousand years of Yoga can't be completely wrong. Breathing deeply immediately changes our mental status. But how?
Our nervous system controls our brains and bodies with a fine tuned feedback loop. Normally this is effortlessly balanced, but when it becomes dysregulated, we find ourselves with symptoms like racing thoughts, feeling sad or irritable, struggling to sleep well, and often feeling uncomfortable physical sensations. Our ancients found a way to help the feedback loop. Lets give it a go.
Sit or lie down with a timer set for 5 minutes. Close your eyes in a relaxed manner and breathe in deeply, hold the breath for a few moments, and breathe out deeply, wait for a few moments and repeat. Yep. That's it. You will notice some changes right away like less tension in the muscles and slowing thoughts. Then calm begins to set in naturally and breathing begins to slow by itself. Oxygen floods the body with this type of breathing and you may feel a sense of physical lightness follow.
After trying this for a few minutes, you can add to the amount of time you breathe deeply, and some people like to include guided relaxation via a tape or online source. Many are available for free.
Count backwards from 10 before responding: Many times we feel irritable or frustrated when our health is poor. We may say things without thinking them through first or be concerned others will discern we aren't our usual selves. It is Ok to recognize we aren't functioning at our best and give ourselves the permission to get through a situation...by slowing down. Hey! that sounds a lot like helping the feedback loop by breathing deeply. Truth is, this is the same process in miniature. We can use this anywhere, and anytime to take stock of our situation and reply with confidence rather than just reacting.
Pick up the phone: call your best friend, your family, or somebody you feel will be understanding and just begin talking. You don't have to talk about anything in particular, but the more you talk about your difficult emotions, the more likely you are to experience some relief. Most of us want to withdraw from our social lives when we feel unwell. We know we are vulnerable and instinct would tell us to wait out the storm. Unfortunately, the storm is often inside us so we instead become isolated with the difficult emotions and they grow as we bottle them up. Talking to someone is like a pressure release valve for emotion.
Sometimes we need to be prudent about who we choose to share with, and how much we share. If emotions become unbearable, we can call the therapy office again and let them know the symptoms are worsening. Others like the anonymity of using a hotline or other professional service. If you feel so upset as to be unsafe to yourself or those around you, you can always call your police department or go to the ER. You never need to feel alone.
I wish you the very best in your journey to wellness, and hope these tips will be helpful along the way.
This article is written by Ruth "Ann" Holland, Professional Licensed Counselor, as a free resource to supplement professional services. She may be contacted by emailing therapy@hollandcounseling.com