We commonly use words like 'stress', 'tension', 'pressure' to describe feeling emotionally uncomfortable. They are all connected by implying that feelings are too big and stretching our bodies beyond their limits.
'Expansion' is a technique in ACT that helps give the space the emotion craves and thus helps it pass through faster.
1. Observe with curiosity đ Where is the feeling most uncomfortable? How big/small is it? Where does it start/end? Observe the weight, colour, temperature, depth etc. Give as much detail to it as possible!
2. Breathe đŤ Take 10 deep, slow belly breaths, trying your best to focus on the breath. If your mind wanders, come back to the breath as soon as you know it's wandered. Repeat if desired!
3. Create space đŤˇđźđŤ¸đź After the 10 breaths, take another 10 breaths and imagine air flows around the feeling. It's as if you are somehow creating extra space for the sensation, giving it room to move. Repeat if desired!
4. Allow đ Let the sensation be there. Half the suffering is because we fight feelings. Just concentrating on the sensation without judgement, like a nod of the head as if to say 'I see you' Do this for as long as you feel yourself struggling with the sensation.
Once you feel less of a struggle, you will notice the sensation decrease in intensity or it may have gone away completely.
@shannonleighpsychotherapy â¨
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