Speedy Stress Buster: Wake up your ambient awareness! 

Second in this series of minute-or-less stress reducers is activating your ambient, or peripheral awareness. Have you ever noticed that when you are stressed, the world seems to close in? Visually, this is exactly what happens: as a physiological response to stress, the visual field narrows. Luckily, we have the power to turn that around in an instant. Simply by expanding peripheral awareness, you can calm your sympathetic nervous system, turn off the stress hormones, improve balance, and create greater physical safety. And as you are about to discover, you always have the needed tools at your disposal!

Ready? Whether you are sitting or standing, look straight forward while wiggling your fingers and moving your hands in a big circle out at the edges of your visual field. Don’t skip the vertical, both up and down. You will likely find some areas much easier to bring into your awareness than others – that’s great information about your vision and your brain’s weak links that would benefit from more in-depth work. For now, create a little extra stimulus in those less-aware places.

Now no hands. Simply sit, stand, or, most powerfully, walk as you continue to expand your awareness of what you are Not looking at, while using your foveal (central) vision to look directly at objects. Activating ambient vision and walking are a potent combo and obviously good for your physical safety as well. Try this as well while driving, waiting in lines, and at the computer. If you’d like to take this further, start naming what you see with your peripheral vision, especially in any regions you find more challenging.Enjoy!

The content above does not constitute medical advice. All exercise, therapy, diet, supplement and health practices should be cleared through your health/medical professional.

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