High-speed Internet, cloud computing, online shopping, 24/7 connectivity on multiple platforms—how does human evolution keep up with these unprecedented advances? How can you protect your body so you won’t get overwhelmed, cyberaddicted, or completely burned out? That’s what I am about to show you. In my private practice and trainings, I’ve been helping people understand and manage their stress for decades.
I’ve also worked closely with medical practitioners and their patients. A core part of what I add to the physicians’ programs is teaching patients my 7-step stress management protocol that I call the rebooting technique (TRT). We have seen amazing results in the way people’s health improved and how it helped the doctors understand more about their patients (for example, breath patterns, destructive beliefs, trauma held in the body, and so on).
Step 1. Unplug
The word plug originated in the 17th century from the Dutch word plugge, meaning a stopper used to seal a barrel or other container. When a container was plugged, the fluid was retained. The risk of loss from spillage, evaporation, or overflow was eliminated. To “unplug,” then, means allowing the contents—be it wine or water or grain—to pour out of the container and be utilized.
In the context of electronic devices such as computers, to unplug means to remove the device from its source of power.
While unplugged, the device is completely disconnected from the source of electricity. Until reconnected, it cannot interface with the rest of the world. (For the purpose of this comparison, let’s forget about batteries.)
In the context of humans, the act of unplugging is similar, in that it involves doing our best to shut down and disconnect from powerful distractions and stressors of the moment.
Said another way, we step back and get some distance so the stress doesn’t push so much voltage through our body and mind. To do this, we eliminate, as much as possible, all outer stimuli—noise, bright lights, even tight clothing, and certainly interaction with others.
We unplug to achieve a state of insulation from the outside world. This need not take a long time: A brief interlude can have a beneficial effect on your heart rate, as we have seen. This simple act makes space for expanded awareness and enables the reflective ability of the individual.
Setting aside the time needed to unplug is an essential first step in the process. We need time to disengage from the stressors, distractions, and demands of life in the moment so we can delve into the inner layers of awareness that restore balance.
When we unplug, the adrenal glands produce lower concentrations of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. When stress hormones in the blood drop to normal levels, the nervous system turns the corner and starts to make its way back to a calm state—to rest and digest rather than fight or flee.
Try this now: Take a few minutes and disconnect from the outside world and all of its pressures as completely as possible. Commit yourself fully to the process. Shut off the phone, close the door, do whatever you need to free yourself up so you can direct your attention inward for 5 minutes. Eliminate or minimize all distractions and begin to redirect your attention inwardly to your emotional world and your physical body.
Step 2. Breathe
Countless scientific studies have demonstrated the link between stress and breathing. Common patterns such as shallow breathing and shortness of breath show up consistently when someone is under significant stress. Sustained periods of short breathing, coupled with rapid heart rate, can result in increased blood pressure, accumulation of toxins, and hormonal imbalances.
In short, conscious breathing is essential for harm reduction, given the many stressors we confront in our lives. We breathe consciously by bringing our awareness to the physiology and feeling of our breath. We pay attention to the otherwise unconscious activity of drawing air into our lungs and releasing it.
We can use our imagination to augment and hone our senses by allowing our mind’s eye to see the heart and lungs working in unison to drive vital oxygen through the bloodstream and carry waste products out in the form of carbon dioxide.
People who are chronically stressed are typically not aware of their respiration at all. In the extreme—a panic attack, for example—a person can actually lose the ability to breathe.
Try this now: Take three slow, deep, full breaths in through your nose and exhale each time through your mouth. Relax.
Fill your belly on each inhalation. Release the breath and belly as you exhale. Feel free to sigh or yawn or make a sound as you exhale. Loosen your jaw. Let go of all expression on your face. Relax.
Step 3. Observe
The word observe is derived from the Latin observare, “to watch.” To observe is to notice, to perceive, and to register some phenomenon with our primary five senses. We have this marvelous ability to discern, detect, and spot both the subtle and the not-so subtle details of what is going on around and within us.
A key to observation that allows for keen discernment is sensing what is, as it is, without an added layer of preconception or judgment. For example, you might observe a political or religious rally and fixate on your judgments—positive or negative—of the people involved. If you were to completely detach and suspend all judgment, observing the same event might lead to very different conclusions.
Tests conducted of eyewitness accounts have proved that our ability to observe is strongly influenced by our preconceptions, as well as by the stress load we carry during observation.
You can see, then, the importance of taking time to unplug and breathe to enable you to clearly observe your mind, emotions, and body. Observing your body from a relaxed state of elevated awareness can reveal layers of your physical and emotional state that otherwise go undetected. You might, for example, note that your posture is asymmetrical or your legs are tightly crossed.
Try this now: Scan your body from head to toe. Notice what is happening. Are you squinting or straining in any way? Are your shoulders and neck crunched? Observe for at least 60 seconds and discover sensations, check your posture, and notice any tension you feel, and so on.
Step 4. Report
The word report is derived from the Latin reportare, meaning “to bring back” and “be accountable.” In Step 4, you are encouraged to report and declare your observations aloud or to yourself, to bring your awareness into play and be accountable. Putting words to your observations gives credence, confidence, momentum, and accountability to the process.
Try this now: Report what you notice in your body—either speak it out loud so you can hear your own voice or say it silently to yourself. Tell yourself what you notice. For instance, “I am noticing that my breath is shallow and my fists are closed.” Or “I am noticing how relaxed my belly and chest feel.”
Step 5. Adjust
Step 5 is literally to take action. For example: If you observe and declare that your fists are clenched, you adjust by consciously relaxing your hands. Or if you observe and report that your legs are crossed while you are standing and you realize that this puts you in a vulnerable position that broadcasts, “I’m not 100 percent sure of what I’m saying,” your adjustment would be to uncross your legs, place your feet squarely below you, and find symmetry in your posture or stance.
By acting, adjusting, and moving during Step 5, you complete the circle from the initial unplugging event to “plugging back in”—this action clears the static from your body-mind and allows it to reconfigure and effectively reboot your entire system.
Try this now: Now that you have unplugged, connected with your breathing, observed your body, and declared your observations, it is time to take action and adjust your body. For instance, if you notice that your shoulders are raised, relax them and let them drop. If you are hunched over your computer, sit back and lift your head. Take 60 seconds or longer and do whatever your body needs.
Step 6. Visualize
Derived from the Latin videre, “to see,” the word visualize means to form a mental picture of something. Step 6 is the mental counterpart for the physical correction you accomplished in step 5. Now you allow your imagination to see a perfectly rebooted you.
The chemicals produced in the mind with this type of visualization can be extremely therapeutic and empowering. By doing this consistently over time, you can reduce inflammation in the body and boost your immune system.
Try this now: Take a minute or two and visualize yourself, your mind, and your body in this very different state from when you began TRT. Notice if you feel more connected to yourself. Imagine a wave or wave form, and slowly breathe in and out.
Step 7. Reboot
The seventh and final step is to “bring it all home,” recognizing that in these past few short minutes, you have:
• Unplugged from life’s stresses
• Settled your system down in preparation for inner observations
• Observed and declared aspects of your body, mind, emotions, and world
• Made constructive adjustments in what you observed
• Visualized yourself in a new and improved state for reentry into the world.
Try this now: Take a moment and decide on the next purposeful action you want to take. (Even taking a hot bath when you are stressed is a purposeful action.) Identify your top priority in the moment, stay focused on your intention, and go
Rebooting your “system,” much like rebooting your computer, should be done with care and consciousness, as you watch your ducks line up in a row. The seven simple steps of TRT become more and more natural for you as you do them. You’ll become better at this body-mind troubleshooting with practice.
Move fluidly through the steps, summarized below. When you have finished all seven steps, pause here a moment to notice any feelings or sensations. From a body-first approach, what is your experience of the world around you as you take it in now?
If you would like to practice TRT with me and/or print out a PDF of the steps, visit WholeBodyIntelligence.com.
Now that you are equipped with TRT, you are ready to step into the next leg of your journey: using your ever-increasing self-awareness to tackle the number one modern-day culprit and silent killer: chronic stress.
