This simple, grounding exercise is amazingly effective for reducing stress. It can be done anywhere and takes just one minute. Watch the video with easy-to-follow instructions.
The next time you find yourself anxious, try this simple exercise for just a minute:
- Place both feet on the ground or floor
- Inhale slowly for the count of 3 as you raise your right toes (heel stays down)
- Exhale slowly for the count of 3 as you lower your right toes onto the floor
- Notice the floor under your right foot
- Inhale slowly for the count of 3 as you raise your left toes (heel stays down)
- Exhale slowly for the count of 3 as you lower your left toes onto the floor
- Notice the floor under your left foot
- Start over with the right foot, alternating feet, coordinating the breath with the foot movement
- Stop immediately if you feel dizzy or uncomfortable
- Do this for 1 minute and see how you feel
This simple little exercise is amazingly effective for a number of reasons. To begin with, focusing on our feet automatically begins to “ground” us, getting us out of our heady anxious state. Our breath follows our attention by dropping into our lower lungs, which activates our parasympathetic, or calming, nervous system. Breathing into the lower lungs is a signal to our brains that we are safe and it is ok to relax.
Counting our breaths gives our brains an activity to do, other than worry. It activates our linear and analytic left-brain, moving the attention from our more emotionally oriented right brain. Focusing on the feet and the slow counted breath brings us more into the present moment and aids in calming us, and our anxiety. We can listen attentively to another while counting in our head. However, listening, counting and worrying are typically way too much for our brains.
The simple act of breathing fully brings more oxygen into our system. This is really important, as our pre-frontal cortex –the executive functioning part of our brain – requires much oxygen. We want it fully oxygenated and making our decisions, not our reactive primitive brain!
This simple exercise can be used anywhere, at any time. Try it when you find yourself in any of the following situations:
- Having a medical or dental procedure
- In an interview
- At a stressful meeting
- In a class or lecture
- In traffic (just imagine your feet going up & down)
- Having a hard conversation
- Not able to go to sleep (again, imagining your feet moving might be better if you are sleeping with someone)
- Anytime you find yourself anxious or nervous
