tips from XR therapists
Precious rebels,
Standing up for what is important, is meaningful and exciting. But, it is good to remember that being a rebel takes courage, and that we may find ourselves in situations that will test our resilience.
The Xr therapists would like to give you a few tips to help you regulate yourself in challenging circumstances.
Tip 1 Be alert if your nervous system is becoming out of balance.
Look for: tightness in breathing, avoidance of contact, fearful thoughts, numbness, aggressive thoughts (the 'fight response'), wanting to leave (the 'flight response'), a feeling of getting out of control or overwhelmed, inability to think clearly.** Check yourself from time to time during the action. An idea might be to pause and check in with each other while swarming between locations before moving on. These brief moments of reflection between actions will enable you, for example to realise you and your buddy need to skip one blockade together in order to take care of yourselves. Be aware that it's okay to step out of the action at any time. Please notice and respect your boundaries!
Tip 2 When you are aware of tension in your body, shake it out
First, you shake your arms, your legs, your hips, your shoulders separately, and don't forget to gently shake your head. Then shake your whole body. Accompany your movements by making sound with your voice. Deep sighs and animal sounds release a lot of tension! And if possible, dance to -hopefully- live music.
Tip 3 Become aware of your body by touching it in a way that feels comforting.
You can think of rubbing your arms, legs, torso, or squeezing your muscles or tapping with your flat hand. This helps to consciously make contact with your body in the here and now.
Tip 4 Focus on where you are: what can you see, hear, smell?
Start by focusing on your exhalation, make it slightly longer than your inhalation, and maybe exaggerate it with a sigh. You could do this out loud with your buddy. Finally, you can rest your gaze for a while on something that has a comforting effect on you, such as a tree or patch of sunlight.
Tip 5 If you feel stressed, reach out to someone and ask for support
Even if you don't know what you need it is often enough to be able to tell someone what you are feeling: "name it to tame it!"