Mindfulness Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness ....Pages

Managing Stress • Choosing strategies

Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness

What (Description): An easy way to shift attention from feeling angry or stressed to feeling calm.

Where (Setting): Anywhere you can safely stop what you are doing.

When to Use: When you are feeling angry or stressed.

Why (Benefits): It changes your mind from feeling angry or stressed to feeling calm.

Managing Stress • Choosing strategies

Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness

How (Task Analysis):

1. Stop what you are doing. 2. Smile with lips together. 3. Stand or sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor. 4. Breathe normally and relax. 5. Think about how your feet feel on the ground or in your socks or shoes. 6. Slowly wiggle your toes. 7. Think about the soles of your feet until you feel calm. 8. Keep that feeling. 9. Pause and stay in the now. 10.Think about how you feel.

Managing Stress • Choosing strategies

Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness

Step 1: Stop what you are doing.

Step 3: Smile with lips together.

Managing Stress • Choosing strategies

Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness

Step 3: Stand or sit comfortably with your feet on the floor.

Step 4: Breathe normally and relax.

Managing Stress • Choosing strategies

Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness

Step 5: Think about how your feet feel on the ground or in your shoes and socks.

Step 6: Slowly wiggle your toes.

Managing Stress • Choosing strategies

Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness

Step 7: Think about the soles of your feet until you feel calm.

Step 8: Keep that feeling

Managing Stress • Choosing strategies

Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness

Step 9: Pause and stay in the now.

Step 10: Think about how you feel.

Managing Stress • Choosing strategies

Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness

Practice (Video/In-Person Script):

Stop what you are doing. Get your body comfortable. Smile with your lips together. Notice how just that little change makes you feel. Take a deep breath in through your nose slowly. I will count to four. 1, 2, 3, 4. Exhale out through your mouth slowly. I will count to four. 1, 2, 3, 4.

Think about how your feet feel on the ground or in your socks and shoes. Slowly wiggle your toes. Concentrate on the soles of your feet until you notice a change in how you feel.

[pause] Stay in the now.

Take a slow, deep breath. Think about how you feel.

Managing Stress • Choosing strategies

Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness

Discussion prompts

• How did that make you feel?

• Were you able to concentrate on the bottoms of your feet?

• Do you think this is a good thing for you?

• When do you think you could use this? (Sample responses: When you need a medical test — e.g., bloodwork or imaging — are scared or anxious, or have too much energy for what you are doing and need to calm down or be quiet.)

Managing Stress • Choosing strategies

Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness

Modifications

1. If you are angry, scared, or upset, take a few deep breaths to relax before you start (i.e., do the Take a Breath strategy first). 2. If you are barefoot, focus on the bare floor, carpet, grass, sand, dirt, mud, etc. 3. Say, “I feel the bottom of my feet.” 4. Use different body parts besides the feet (i.e., squeezing your hands into a fist, putting hands over your eyes or ears, feeling where your body touches the chair).

Managing Stress • Choosing strategies

Strategy #4: Soles of the Feet Awareness - Body Scan Meditation

Meditation Script

Stop what you are doing. Now get your body comfortable. Smile with your lips together. Notice how just that little change makes you feel. Take a deep breath in through your nose while counting to four. 1, 2, 3, 4. Exhale out through your mouth while counting to four. 1, 2, 3, 4.

Relax starting at the top of your head….

Now relax…. Your forehead…. Your eyebrows…. Your facial muscles…. Your neck…. Your shoulders…. Your upper arms…. Your lower arms…. Your hands…. Your fingers…. Your back…. Your hips…. Your upper legs…. Your knees…. Your lower legs…. Your ankles…. Your feet…. Your toes….

[When the timer rings] take another breath. Think about how you feel.