Interrupting Stress
What are interrupters?
Interrupters are the actions we can take immediately to get us out of the stress response and back into our normal state of being. They are like triage for your brain: they stop you from escalating a situation and create the space for critical thinking as you move forward. You probably know a lot of these actions, such as taking a deep breath to going for a run around the block. They are signals to your brain that you are not being threatened and your body doesn’t need to operate at stress level 10.
Think of interrupters as the effective way to tell your body to calm down.
Recognizing triggers
The biggest challenge to using an interrupter is recognizing that you need to. Because you’re not always aware that you’ve gone into the stress response and your brain and body are focused on surviving a threat, suggestions that you calm down may not be well received. Learning what sets you off and what it feels like in your stress response can help you help yourself.
Try mining your memory:
- Are there situations that consistently make you upset?
- Are there certain people who push your buttons?
- What common themes do you see in what triggers your stress and what you do in response?
- Where might you have learned to respond this way?
The more you can bring from the subconscious to the conscious, the better prepared you will be to show up differently in the future.
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, recognizes that people are most vulnerable to stress when they are:
- Not getting enough sleep
- Not having a network of support
- Experiencing a major life change such as moving, the death of a loved one, starting a new job, having a child, or getting married
- Experiencing poor physical health
- Not eating well
Building in interrupters
Planning ahead makes it easier to stay present when stress hits. First, you can look for ways to avoid situations that cause you stress, like giving yourself more time in the morning or skipping the extended-family dinner when you’re already tired. This can prevent you from entering the stress response.
Second, you can practice interrupters and decide which work best for you in different situations. Common interrupters include:
- Stepping away for a few minutes
- Deep breathing
- Physical activity (walking, running, yoga, and more)
- Connect with a friend or family member
Finally, you can build support into your home and workspace by:
- Designate a space where you and family members can go for “peace” when needed.
- Add personal touches to your workspace.
- Reduce clutter at home and at the office to minimize frustration and save time.
- Houseplants and greenery can help you feel more comfortable, purify air, and boost creativity and productivity.
- Locking guns prevents accidents and can interrupt the stress associated with harmful thoughts.