I interact with people through my blog, email, book signings, over the phone, and my support group. Julie Bates-Maves, PhD, LPC The University of Wisconsin-Stout Professor, Clinical Mental Health Counseling offers tools we can use under extreme stress and trauma.
- If able, splash cold water on our face for 15-13 seconds.
- Hold or rest an ice pack on your chest or the back of your neck for as long as possible (the peak effector of this method is about 15 minutes.
- Square breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4-repeat—lowers cortisol levels (strive for 5 minutes per day outside of the stressful moment) If we are having a hard time slowing, pursue our lips as if we are breathing through a straw.
- Alternate nostril breathing (if alone looks odd). Use your thumb to hold one nostril shut and go in through the right, out through the left nostril.
- Step or rock side to side in a controlled rhythm and focus on breathing (either square or sigh)
- Chew Gum or squeeze the stress ball to a calm and steady rhythm. Pay attention to the textures, scents, etc.
Dr Dan Siegel states, “When something triggers us, we are prone to ‘Flip our Lid’ which means the Prefrontal Cortex (Front part of our brain) has a poor connection with the Midbrain, and we’re not able to access the logical, problem-solving part of our brain. Our emotions are overriding our ability to think clearly”.
Some Stress Debriefing Steps:
- Set boundaries around the conversation and intentions.
- Identify immediate issues surrounding safety (psychological & physical)
- Defuse – discuss memories of events and responses that followed.
- Provide information of possible reactions that may surface as time goes on – physical, emotional, psychological. Discuss what’s normal a what’s is concerning.
- Brief assessment of coping behaviors – adaptive or avoidant?
- Offer additional resources for coping, Employee Assistant Programs (EPA), peer support, and additional supervision.
- Summarize and check in with the person impacted by stress and trauma
When we are under stress or our trauma response is triggered these are helpful tips to keep us anchored and emotions regulated to help us think clearly.
Peace
Larry
email: ljw@superhumanbeing.net
website: https://superhumanbeing.net/