Stop

• Tell yourself to stop, as soon as you notice your mind and/or your body is reacting to a trigger.

• It helps to put a space between the trigger and the response 

Take a beath

• Start to breathe slowly and a little deeper than before, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth 

• Focus only on your breath 

Observe 

• Notice the thought that is going through your mind ​

• Notice the following questions 

  • What am I thinking about?

  • What am I focusing on? 

  • What am I feeling in my body? 

Pull Back

• Zoom out, and see the bigger picture ​

• Ask yourself the following

  • Is there another way to think of this?​

  •  Is it a fact or an opinion? 

  • How does it affect others?

  • What advice would I give a friend in the situation? 

  • How important is this in a year? 

  • Will this matter in 6 months from now? A year? 

Practice What Works? 

• Rather than reacting in a way that has an unhelpful consequence, CHOOSE the response that's most helpful and will bring out a positive response