Simple ways back to emotional balance

The nervous system seeks to come back to balance, a sense of equilibrium.

One way it does this is by releasing a substance called GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) which halts or slows down the buildup of stress in our emotional system. This process is going on most of the time as we move between excitement (because stress”excites” the system) and calm.

For well-being we need in this process to be in good shape so that it can go on helping us to avoid unnecessary stress and negative emotions in an efficient way.   

Otherwise we can be more easily hijacked by feelings of anger or fear, for instance.

Fortunately, practices such as mindfulness, meditation and yoga help this calming process to go to work when needed.

How to do it

Simple mindfulness practices worth building into your routine – even for a few minutes a few times a day – include:

• Counting your breath. A way to do this is to count to five while breathing in slowly and count to seven while breathing out.

• Resting your gaze on an object, maybe on a plant in a garden or on something your room, for a few minutes and returning to awareness of the object every time you realise your mind has drifted away.

• Or you could pour a cup of tea or coffee or a glass of water and bring present moment awareness to the act of drinking it.

All very simple – yet over time the effect could be to greatly enhance your experience of living.

My 15-lesson Easy Mindfulness online course includes many exercises to help you bring a greater level of calm into your life.

Image by Yoann Boyer on Unsplash