Technique 1.174 S.O.B.E.R (stress)
Introduction
Stress in essence
"...a feeling of emotional, physical tension in response to a perceived challenge or threat to one's survival..."
Elaine Houston, 2024
Even though the current environment is very different from what our ancestors lived in.
"... Long-term stress is a maladaptive state that precipitates a hyper-activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which may lead to acute or chronic physical, psychological, and behavioural impairment if left unattended. Common reactions to stress include changes in the immune system and immune response, excessive worry, rumination, and sleep disruptions, increased heart rates and blood pressure, and diminished efforts to be physically active..."
Elaine Houston, 2024
All types of stress need to be handled, including short-term, eg daily.
S.O.B.E.R is a stress interruption technique that was initially developed as the informal mindfulness practice for addicts.
There are 5 steps
S = stop (whatever you are doing)
O = observe (what is happening in your body and mind )
B = breathe (pay attention to your breathing)
E = expand (awareness to the your whole body and surroundings)
R = respond (with awareness rather than on autopilot)
Using these steps will
"...help reduce habitual reactive behaviour to stressful stimuli and encourage more adaptive resources by expanding behavioural repertoire to include intentional and mindful choices. This exercise will help clients take a moment to pause, step out of autopilot mode, and respond to stressful experiences with mindful awareness......deliberately choose a more meaningful response to less emotionally reactive stressful stimuli..."
Elaine Houston, 2024
S.O.B.E.R in diagrammatic format:
(source: Elaine Houston, 2024)
The building blocks for this technique are awareness, observation and mindfulness; need to be wary of distractions that can sidetrack your focus.
Steps
1. Stop (relax your posture so that you are not tense or stiff and allow yourself to be right there in the present moment; the aim is to get yourself out of autopilot, ie your usual reaction to stress)
2. Observe (need to understand what is happening in your body and mind
"...Notice the sensations happening in your body. What emotions are you experiencing right now? What thoughts are going through your mind? Observe your body. Is there any tension? Where in your body can you feel it? Notice any unpleasant sensations and, rather than trying to push them away or shut them out, acknowledge them. Just observe this moment..."
Elaine Houston, 2024)
3. Breathe (by focusing your attention on your breath, it will help slow your thoughts and relax the body; your posture should be relaxed and comfortable
"...Breathe in gently through your nose and holds the 3-5 seconds. gently exhale through your mouth and hold a gain of 3-5 seconds. Repeat this 5-10 times.
As you breathe, notice the movements of your body with each breath. Notice the air coming in and out as you inhale and exhale slowly. Notice how stress leaves your body with each exhalation. Listen to the sound of your breathing and place your hand on your chest to feel it rise and fall. If your mind wanders, bring your attention back to your breath..."
Elaine Houston, 2024)
4. Expand awareness (become aware of the bigger picture and understand where the stressful experience fits in; extend your awareness to include the rest of your body, your experience, situation, environment, etc, ie everything is happening around you at this moment.
"... Begin to think about your body and mind as a whole. What feelings are present for you right now? Do you feel any tension in your shoulders, neck, back, or face? Become aware of this tension, observe it, and allow yourself to let go of it, feeling your muscles loosen and relax as you do so. What sensations are present right now? Are they the same, or are they different than earlier? Now expand your awareness of what is happening around you. What else do you notice?
Elaine Houston, 2024)
5. Respond with awareness (this is about learning to respond with awareness rather than a knee-jerk or automatic stress reaction; by going through the earlier steps you are in a better position to consider the responses that are available to you and the consequences of these responses.)
Some reflective questions:
"...- How was it to complete this exercise?
- What did you learn from this exercise?
- In what other situations might the S.O.B.E.R technique be helpful? In what ways would it be helpful in this context?
- What part of this exercise did you find most rewarding?
- What did you find most challenging about this exercise?
- How did you feel about respondong to stress with awareness?..."
Elaine Houston, 2024)
Summary
"...stress is your body's reaction to feeling threatened or being under too much mental or emotional pressure. It is easy to react out of habit in times of stress rather than thinking carefully about the situation and choosing the most helpful response. The problem with this is that you react in autopilot mode, with no real awareness of the situation. This exercise is all about interrupting stress by taking a moment to pause and step out of the autopilot before responding with awareness..."
Elaine Houston, 2024
There are 5 steps to S.O.B.E.R
S = stop
O = observe
B = breathe
E = expand
R = respond
"...it helps people become aware of their thoughts and feelings, quickly reset, and respond mindfully to avoid emotional overwhelm..."
Seph Fontane Pennock as quoted by Elaine Houston, 2024