It may seem strange, back and forward eye movement have been shown to be offective in shutting off or calming the brains stress response; they do this by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the part of the nervous system that, when stimulated, slows heart rate, lower blood pressure, and slows breathing. This exercise takes about two minutes.
Step 1: If you wear contact lenses, remove them. Sit comfortably in a chair and take a minute to relax and become calm.
Step 2: Once you feel centered, being to move your eyes back and forth while keeping your head and neck still, as if you were watching the ball in a tennis game. Keep your eyes from left to right and back again.
Step 3: Repeat this eye movement about twenty times; then stop, close your eyes, and relax.
Step 4: Keeping your eyes closed, scan your body and become aware of any tension or discomfort in any part of your body. Simply notice any tension you feel.
Step 5: Repeat step 2, and after twenty repetitions, close your eyes and relax for a few seconds, then repeat the eye movements a third time. You should feel calmer and able to observe that your mental activity has slowed.
Once you get the hang of doing these steps, try doing them when you first get into bed every night, repeating step 3 through 5, two or three times.
No comments:
Post a Comment