Try the PEACE Technique to help you in dealing with stress. Each letter will remind you of a step you need to do as you practice this technique.
“P” – PAUSE
Try one of these ideas during this step:
- 1. Step back, take a time-out
- 2. Physically remove yourself from the situation
- 3. Do one of the 3 R’s – ritual, writing or reaching out
- 4. Acknowledge your feelings rather than fight them and let them wash over and through you
- 5. Get involved in a physical activity
- 6. Focus on your breathing, even for a minute or two, so your body and mind becomes calm again
“E” – EVALUATE
Ask yourself one or more of these questions:
(Once you have done one of the PAUSE techniques, you will be able to step back far enough so that you can access the logical part of your brain again and think more clearly.
- 1. Why am I feeling this feeling? What is upsetting me?
- 2. What is going on in my life that could be causing this emotion to be so intense? (HALT: Am I hungry, angry, lonely or tired?)
- 3. Is this really about me or is it something that belongs to the other person? Should I let it go or address it?
- 4. Will this be importnat in one month or in one year from now?
- 5. Do I need to ask for help with this? Will I benefit from someone else’s insight and perspective?
“A” – ANCHOR
Try one of these techniques:
(This step gives us an image of a boat anchored in water. In this step you are choosing to be anchored in strength outside yourself.)
- 1. Focus on your breathing (deep breathing from diaphragm)
- 2. Repeatedly recite an affirmation (examples: God is here, God’s peace is within me, I can do all things through Christ, etc.)
- 3. Create and recite a Breath Prayer in conjunction with your breathing (examples: Peace be still, God gran me serenity, God comfort me, The Lord is my shepherd, etc.)
- 4. Call to mind an applicable scripture and repeat it
- 5. Spend 5-10 minutes reading and meditating on scripture
- 6. Go for a walk in nature
- 7. Journal your thoughts and feelings. End your entry with a prayer to God.
“C” – CHOOSE
Identify and Examine your options:
(Choosing is different than deciding because choosing (& identifying) involves the use of our left brain intellect and our right brain intuitions.)
- 1. Write down a list of choices you could do, brainstorming all options. (Do not limit your ideas by judging their merits at this point.)
- 2.Talk to someone you trust to help generate choices IF you are having a hard time doing it.
- 3. Ask God for wisdom to help you identify choices.
- 4. Write or say aloud, “I choose to (name action)” once you have made a choice.
“E” – ENACT
Put your choice or choices into action:
- 1. The previous four steps of the PEACE Technique can be done in as little as one minute to as much as one hour. Once they’re completed, you are prepared to put your choice into action.
- 2. You can try a second choice at a later time if more help is needed.
Note: Taking thoughtful and purposeful action can often help to significantly reduce the power of the stressful situation (or emotion) over us. It can help restore and strengthen our inner peace.
Once you’ve practiced this stress reducing exercise for awhile, the first three steps may be all you need to do in the midst of a stressful situation to return back to a peaceful place.