Tips for Getting to Your Comfort Place

By Denise Humphrey, Ph.D., www.DeniseHumphrey.com

Our “comfort place” is a state mind — a state in which we experience calm, safety and of course comfort. When we get into our comfort place, our bodies experience relaxation and peace. The stress, chaos and noise of the day is quieted and we are able to focus on ourselves — our feelings, our thoughts, our physical bodies. Our comfort place can be anywhere: home, church, a busy subway, a plane, the bath. The following are several tips for achieving your comfort place. If you have additional ideas, I would love to here them! Just reply to this blog.

Tips for Getting to Your Comfort Place

1. Morning Meditation. Cortisol, the stress hormone, is at its highest in the morning. Start your day with a 12-minute morning meditation to assist your body in lowering your cortisol level. Don’t be turned off by the idea of meditation. This does not require fancy chants or oms, but rather 12 minutes of silence. You may allow your thoughts to wander, or you may choose to have no thoughts. The idea is to start your day enjoying peace and quiet. You may want to sit outside and listen to nature while you sip a cup of tea.
2. Silence the Noise. Rather than listening to the radio or television while going about your household chores or driving in the car, listen to yourself. Turn off exterior sounds and stimulation and accomplish your work in silence. When our brain is not tasked with processing exterior stimuli, we are able to listen to our own intuition. While physically conducting mindless or rote work, we are able to get into a comfortable zone where nagging problems or emotional conflicts become clear and the solutions become obvious. 
3. Take a Hike. Whether it is a stroll through the neighborhood or a literal hike in nature, simply being outside and enjoying the sounds of nature (not the sound of the iPod) allows us to feel connected and at peace. 
4. Take a Technology Break. Schedule time each day (even 30 minutes) to take a break from the telephone, instant messaging, and e-mails (and any other noisy and stimulating devices) and enjoy silence. Go about whatever task you are doing, but simply enjoy that task in silence. If you do this everyday, you will find yourself looking forward to your daily technology break.

Denise Humphrey, Ph.D
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Humphrey today! 972-239-2490

CREDENTIALS
•    Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology:  Fielding Graduate University
•    Master of Music in Piano Performance:  University of Notre Dame
•    Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance:  Southern Methodist University
•    License No. and State: 32345 Texas
•    Board of Trustees, Dallas Foundation for Psychoanalysis
•    Chair, Arts Committee for the Dallas Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology
•    Member, National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology

→