When you are stressful,
Anxious or even angry,
Sometimes you may feel that the situation is out of control.
In here,
We can practice the stop technique.
The stop technique allows you to freeze for a moment.
This may help you from doing what your feelings want you to do without thinking.
Staying in control of your feelings and thoughts is the way to manage within yourself before it spirals out of control.
The stop contains this acronym.
S stands for stop.
Stop what you are doing at the moment.
P stands for take a step back.
O stands for observe what is happening around you and within you.
P stands for proceed mindfully.
We will go through the 4 steps together and if you have practiced sufficiently,
You may be able to do this independently on your own.
The bell will proceed and it will end with the second bell.
Step 1.
Stop.
When a situation happens and you are feeling stressed or anxious or even angry,
Stop whatever you are doing.
You may walk out of the room or find a safe place if you are operating a machinery or driving.
Find a place where you are safe and able to freeze for a moment so that you can calm down for a few minutes.
Step 2.
Take a step back.
Take a long deep breath in and a long out breath.
Take another long deep breath in and another long out breath.
Notice the inhale ends and how the air flows through during the exhale.
Take a final slow deep breath in and an out breath.
Proceed with natural breathing.
Do not control your breathing.
Let your breath flow inwards and outwards on its own.
Focus your attention at your nostril on your breathing.
Step 3.
Observe.
As you breathe naturally,
Open up your awareness.
Notice any sounds around your ears.
What do you hear?
Notice any smell.
What caught you in the smell?
What do you smell?
Bring your awareness to the sensations of the breathing through your nose and your mouth.
As you breathe,
See if you can relax your belly and chest.
See if you can loosen any tension,
Inviting a sense of ease in your belly and your chest as you let go of any tension.
Dropping your shoulders,
Softening your hands and muscles of your face.
Hear a sense of ease as you breathe.
Noticing the physical sensations around your body.
Is it hot,
Cold,
Tickling,
Pain,
Pleasant,
Unpleasant or neutral sensation?
Where are those sensations located?
What are your thoughts at this moment?
Watch the thoughts come and go.
Imagine that you are sitting on a chair and the visitors come to see you and then they leave.
There is nothing that you need to do.
Similarly,
Like those thoughts that come and go.
What does it feel like to be breathing at this moment,
The sensation of each inhale and exhale?
How does it feel when observing the sensations,
Thoughts and feelings coming and going away?
Now,
Focus your attention back on your breathing.
Step 4.
Proceed mindfully.
You may want to ask yourself these questions.
What is the difference that I can do to benefit myself and others from now?
Do I allow my feelings to destroy the relationship,
My happiness or do I take charge from within so that I can feel satisfying with the outcome?
I may not be able to change other people's opinions and feelings about me but I can stop my destructive thoughts and feelings from making me unhappy.
I can stop this by challenging those unhelpful assumptions and thoughts.
I am calm and I am in control.
I can make this situation better starting from within myself first.
We are now coming to the end of this practice.
Take a long slow inhale and a long slow exhale.
Observing the sensations as the air coming in and out.
You may open your eyes when you are ready.
Proceed mindfully in the next action that you may take.
