Are you feeling stressed out? Anxious? Is your mind racing in circles? Are you worried about all the things you have to get done? Here’s a quick—acting trick that can make you feel better.
If you are sitting at a desk, place the palm of your hand on the desk, and take a moment to focus on what the surface of the desk feels like. Is it hot or cold, rough or smooth? Put all of your attention on the sensations in your palm, on how the desk feels underneath your hand. If you are not at a desk, do the same exercise by placing your palm on any nearby object—a wall, a chair, even your opposite arm.
When you are feeling stressed, your thoughts tend to take on a life of their own. You may be thinking about things you wish you had done differently in the past or worrying about things that you have to do in the future. These thoughts will make you feel anxious. The anxiety, in turn, increases the number of anxious thoughts.
If you can ground yourself even for a moment in the present, you will break the cycle and feel instant relief. Paying attention to what objects in your environment feel like forces you to pay more attention to the present moment than to negative, anxiety—provoking (刺激的，诱发的)thoughts about the past or about the future.
Try using your other senses too:
Try closing your eyes for a second(don’t try this while driving!) and breathe deeply through your nose. What do you smell?
When eating, put all your attention on how your food tastes.
What do you hear? What little noises are there around you that you didn’t notice before?
Look closely at an ordinary object. Do you see anything you haven’t noticed before?
小题1:By saying “Is your mind racing in circles”, the author intends to mean that______.
| A．you did something wrong in the past and wouldn’t forgive yourself |
| B．your mind is quick and bright when in a state of anxiety |
| C．you are thinking in a stupid way when anxious thoughts worries you a lot |
| D．you worried a lot and the anxious thoughts will increase your anxiety |
小题2:The author advises to put your palm on the desk or any things nearby in order to ____
| A．play a small trick | B．feel the surface of the object |
| C．do some exercises | D．reduce your anxiety |
小题3:The writer mentioned some senses that could be used to reduce stress except the _____.
| A．sense of touching | B．sense of smell | C．sense of humour | D．sense of listening |
小题4:Which of the following can be served as a title for the article?
| A．Frist Aid to Anxiety----Senses |
| B．How Anxiety Works |
| C．The Cause of Anxiety—Senses |
| D．How to Deal with Anxiety |