STOPP and Breathe

You know that sensation when something happens and your heart drops and you lose all sense of rationality? You quickly spiral into negative thoughts and emotions, and it feels almost impossible to come back? This is an indication that you’ve been triggered and your body, in its own little way of protecting you, has fallen into a familiar pattern of negativity. This happens instinctually, and while it may take years to prevent the thoughts from taking place in the first place, there is a way to handle the situation in an effective way: the STOPP technique.

There are various versions of this technique out there, but I will be referring to the one I was taught in the CBT course by Kain Ramsay. STOPP stands for the following:

Stop: Take a step back and don’t take action yet.

Take a breath: Focus on your breath and center yourself. Deep inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.

Observe: Hone in on your emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations. Ask yourself, what triggered me? What coping mechanism have I fallen into?

Perspective: Look at the big picture. Ask yourself, what are the facts? Am I reacting out of emotion? Will I regret it if I act impulsively right now? What’s another perspective I could take? Is this worth getting upset about?

Practice what works: How can you reframe your mindset to be more positive? What action will you be proud of? Choose to respond rather than react.

With this technique, you take control of the situation and of yourself. Rather than feeling like a victim to your thoughts and emotions, you dictate how you respond. It’s incredibly empowering! I want to emphasize here, however, that there’s a difference between suppressing and accepting your emotions. The goal is to notice how you’re feeling, process it and look at the big picture, then move on. You may have to address the emotions later when you’re in a safe space. Don’t get upset with yourself for having emotions or ignore them altogether. We are all just trying our best, so don’t beat yourself up if this doesn’t work every time.

I encourage you to STOPP next time you’re in a difficult situation and see how it works for you! As always, I would love to hear about your experience and answer any questions you may have.

Lots of love,

Andrea