"Feeling" Better, Literally

In our last DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) class we talked about the five senses and how you can use them to relax when you feel anxious.  It wasn't until I did the homework that I realized how much I use my sense of touch when I feel stressed.  I love the feel of my keyboard on this laptop as I type.  It's the number one reason for my choosing this laptop.  Yes, it has a great entertainment system I don't know how to use and it's got a lot of memory and all that jazz, but I fell in love with the keys.  After I thought about it, every time I walk by a bunch of laptops at an electronics store I play with the keys.  That's how I decide if I like it or not.  I also had this squishy thing I got at Creative Kidstuff.  I loved the way it felt in my hands.  There are dozens of varieties of these toys in the stores, but after losing my squishy I've never found another one that feels like that one did.  I like writing with certain types of pens and I love playing with candle wax on my fingers. 

I related with the other senses like the smell of a candle, the sound of a waterfall, the taste of chocolate and the sight of a sunrise and I love all of those things, but when when I'm looking to calm myself either consciously or subconsciously I find things I like to touch.  It is interesting to become aware of how we respond and deal with stress and pitfalls in life.  What I love about this class is the realization that I have more control than I think over how I react to these situations and there are many, many more ways to improve my life right at this moment than I think.  It's very easy for me to overlook the little things.  I think that I'd be happier if I won the lottery or my family was perfect or I had some really respectable job, but if I want to feel better sometimes all I have to do is eat some ice cream or get a back rub from my son or listen to some music or call a friend OR write another post on my blog.  Yup, I feel better already.