Staying sane... one breath at a time

MANILA, Philippines - It’s amazing how one deep breath can make a huge difference.

We are often told to take a breather when the going gets too tough or when the world gets too chaotic. We hear it so often it sometimes loses its meaning.

But according to Switzerland-based psychotherapists Matthias Witzel and Sarah Monz, managing stress is important and deep breathing is one effective technique.

In a three-day stress and trauma workshop for conflict journalists who have either experienced tropical storm “Sendong” or have covered it, the two experts helped participants come to terms with their experiences.

Organized by the Peace and Conflict Journalism Network (Pecojon) and the GIZ (International Institute for Journalism), the workshop, held in early March, provided different techniques and stress-management tips which journalists or people who have experienced conflict can apply in difficult assignments or stressful workdays.

Stressors can take many forms. It can be the memory of howling winds that struck in the middle of the night and took one’s loved ones away. It could be bloodied bodies strewn grotesquely on a hill in a province they called home. It could be a story of innocence stolen during childhood. It could be one incident; it could be a thousand.

It could be just one small voice, crying for help in the darkness, or the deafening sound of raging waters. It could be having had to witness one’s mother take her own life or one’s offspring rammed by a speeding truck.

The stories are as countless as they are varied but the effect on the human spirit is common – easily people can go crazy.

Psychotherapists Witzel and Monz shared with participants the different methods or techniques by which a stressed person can fully heal, or at least start on the path of healing.

Safe place

The first step is to find a safe place or to bring oneself to a safe place, Witzel said during the workshop, which was aptly conducted in a quiet state-run resort in the hills of Cagayan de Oro.

Witzel said it is important to have a safe place where one could be fully relaxed and feel safe from the chaos.

That safe place can be the arms of one’s loved one. It can also be in the comfort of one’s home.

Trauma acupuncture

Another method is trauma acupuncture.

Developed in the 1980s in the United States, trauma acupuncture is also known as the NADA protocol.

Monz said trauma acupuncture is a useful way to relax.

According to the website acupuncturetoday.com, trauma acupuncture covers a selection of ear points proved to be extremely effective in the treatment of addictions.

According to the website, NADA – which is Spanish for “nothing” – is also the acronym for the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association.

NADA was founded in 1985 by Michael Smith, a New York-based doctor, and other doctors who were interested in promoting the integration of the protocol in the treatment of addiction.

“The NADA protocol as it exists today consists of the insertion of small, stainless-steel, disposable acupuncture needles into five points on the outer surface of a person’s ear. The points used in the NADA protocol are Sympathetic, Shen Men, Kidney, Liver, and Lung,” the website said.

Monz, for her part, conducted sessions during the workshop on all journalist participants, which entailed putting needles on one ear for between 20 minutes and 30 minutes.

The treatment was given to participants while they lay on their respective beds in their rooms.

With just five needles, trauma acupuncture focuses on points that make a person calm and relaxed – two important points in managing stress.

“It has a calming effect,” said Monz, a doctor who practices both traditional and alternative medicine including trauma acupuncture.

Breathe in, Breathe out

Another effective stress management technique is doing deep breathing exercises, which Witzel said is very effective.

He said it would seem that breathing is so easy and basic but the proper way to do it is deep breathing, inhaling deep through the nose and not through the mouth.

“An example for a very simple but highly effective breathing technique: Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of three and then breathe out for a count of seven. Pause for one or two counts and feel the stillness. “Deep breathing techniques can definitely help to reduce stress levels,” Witzel said.

Think positive

Another effective method is to think positive, Witzel said.

“Recognize that thinking is a tool you have. It is not who you are. Who you are is much more powerful than the thoughts you have and even words are inadequate to describe your true essence,” he said.

He said one way to change the way one thinks is to take five minutes every day to observe one’s thinking habits.

Self-care

Witzel said it is also important to have enough rest to reduce stress in one’s life.

“Just like your car needs good fuel, you need good food for your body to run properly. Just like your car needs regular maintenance, your body needs exercise to maintain it in good working shape. If you really want to reduce your stress, take a good look at your lifestyle because these are things within your control,” Witzel said.

Live as if it is your last day

Another important technique to deal with life’s heartaches and headaches is to live life to the fullest.

Witzel said it is important to live each day by giving one’s best and not holding anything back. This reduces stress and helps one feel positive about one’s life.

Other exercises include doing meditation, taking yoga classes or engaging in physical activities such as swimming or running.

These techniques may seem common and basic knowledge but are often neglected by many.

Indeed, it’s a chaotic world out there and sometimes, for one to survive, all it takes is just one breath.