Name It to Tame It: A Simple Strategy to Ease Stress and Anxiety

When feeling overwhelmed and stressed, write down what is concerning you. Identify what emotion is arising because of this concern. Researchers refer to this “naming and taming”. When you identify what is causing you concern, you create distance from it - this reduces the feeling of overwhelm and escalation.

Taking some deep breaths after “naming and taming” will also help to calm the nervous system and reduce the symptoms of overwhelm/stress.

When you “name and tame” regularly, you can identify reoccurring patterns. This can help you identify where to focus your efforts (or make changes) to help improve your overall wellbeing.