Video: Mindfulness Techniques to Handle Stress

In this 2-minute video, Beyond Finance’s Certified Financial Therapist Nathan Astle shares two helpful techniques to manage the stress of debt and bring you back to a place of groundedness.

Transcript of Video:

Let’s be honest – debt is stressful. And when we’re stressed or overwhelmed, we feel disconnected – our mind starts to race and we often feel physical symptoms of that stress. 

Mindfulness is all about connecting back to reality — to getting grounded in the present. Let’s walk through some mindfulness techniques to help you keep that stress in check.

1. The 5 Senses Exercise

In the 5 senses exercise, you’ll look around you and first notice 5 things you can see, then 4 colors you can see, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can either smell or taste, then 1 thing you can touch. Pay attention to the sensory experiences – is the surface rough or smooth? Cold or hot? Heavy or airy? And finally check in with how you feel after the exercise compared to when you started.

2. Candle breathing

Candle breathing is simply pretending to blow out a candle. Picture the flame as what’s causing you worry. Then do a big inhale followed by a big exhale. This can help you extinguish racing thoughts. I recommend doing this for 5 minutes at a time for effectiveness. Just make sure to listen to your body and don’t over exert yourself.

There’s a lot of research that when we’re experiencing stress, a focus on sensory input or breathing can slow the racing thoughts and calm you both mentally and physically. 

These exercises might work for you, but if they don’t, google and find something that does. 

And remember, these exercises are not a one-stop shop. You won’t do one and never feel stressed again. Rather, it’s a way to continually bring you back from that place of racing thoughts and anxiety, and redirect you back to a place of groundedness.