STOPP: How to Stop Reacting and Start Responding When Anxiety Takes Over
Have you ever said something in the heat of the moment and immediately wished you could take it back? Me! Or found yourself replaying a conversation over and over, thinking: Why did I say that? I should have handled that differently. Why do I always react this way? When we feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, or emotionally activated, it can be really difficult to slow down before we respond. Our thoughts can start racing, our body can go into protection mode, and suddenly we are reacting INSTEAD of responding. This is where one of my favorite tools, STOPP , can help. STOPP is a simple skill that can help create a pause between what happens and what you do next. It can be especially helpful when your tolerance is low, you're overwhelmed, you're having a difficult conversation, or you feel yourself getting pulled into an anxious or emotional reaction. The goal isn't to never react again. We're human! The goal is to create enough space to RESPOND instead of REACT. Reacti...