We make better decisions when we are calm. So, we’re less likely to do things we regret when we feel grounded and present for ourselves.

But life is very busy and stressful at times. And if we find it hard to manage our stress levels we may seek relief in alcohol, drugs, food, or other things that don’t serve us well.

Signs of stress include shallow breathing, fast heartbeat, sweating, anxiety, muscle tension, especially in the shoulders, and the rising sense that some alcohol, sex, drugs, food, placing a bet or some other distracting behaviour may alleviate these feelings.

If that’s the place you find yourself in, click on one of my videos below.

In each one, I’ll guide you through a quick, easy, effective exercise designed to calm your nervous system and move you from being in your head to being calmly present in your body.

The way the body works is that it cannot be relaxed and stressed at the same time. So practising ways to soothe and ground yourself gives you greater control over your stress levels and, most importantly, can help you to press pause on a behaviour you may not want to turn to.