Are you feeling stressed out? Anxious? Is your mind racing in circles? Are you worried about all the things you have to get done?
Here’s a quick-acting trick that can make you feel better.
Reach out and touch something
If you’re sitting at a desk, place the palm of your hand on the desk, and take a moment to focus on what the surface of the desk feels like. Is it hot or cold, rough or smooth? Put all of your attention on the sensations in your palm, on how the desk feels underneath your hand.
If you are not at a desk, do the same exercise by placing your palm on any nearby object -- a wall, a chair, even your opposite arm.
Why does something that is so quick and simple work?
When you are feeling stressed, your thoughts tend to take on a life of their own. You may be thinking about things you wish you had done differently in the past or worrying about things that you have to do in the future. These thoughts will make you feel anxious. The anxiety, in turn, increases the number of fretful thoughts that you have.
If you can ground yourself even for a moment in the present, you will break the cycle and feel instant relief. Paying attention to what objects in your environment feel like forces you to pay more attention to the present moment than to negative, anxiety-provoking thoughts about the past or about the future.
Try using your other senses too
Try closing your eyes for a second (don’t try this while driving!) and inhale deeply through your nose. What do you smell?
When eating, put all your attention on how your food tastes.
What do you hear? What little noises are there around you that you didn’t notice before?
Look closely at an ordinary object. Do you see anything you haven’t noticed before?