Self help books and countless coping strategies are not making much of a difference in the mental health crisis being experienced by all demographics. It is time for a paradigm shift in how we approach our mental health. The reality is, the suggestions being offered are good and work when our nervous system is calm and regulated. When we are in a regulated state, we will follow through on our ‘to do’ list, make better food choices, exercise, have the energy to connect with others and work towards accomplishing our goals. Stay dysregulated or stressed too long and you will relapse into your stress patterns very quickly.
While our intentions to do better and be better are genuine, increased stress as well as unexpected stress make it difficult to recall the necessary steps to remember coping skills we have been taught to help us stay on the path of healing or change. When this happens, we will revert back to the poor choices and habits we are wanting to overcome because those behaviors are known and automatic.
What is a stress pattern?
A stress pattern is what you have learned to do to manage your stress, feelings of being overwhelmed or anxious. It might be impulsive shopping, turning to food or alcohol, overcommitting to things and then procrastinating. These patterns or habits will not be the same for everyone, but they all tend to lead to an increased feeling of hopelessness and discouragement when you try to replace them with healthier habits and continue to fall short of your intentions.
Regulation in the moment it’s needed
The missing piece in most discussions on improving willpower, maintaining sobriety, reducing stress and anxiety, etc. is regulation “in the moment” you need it. If you can take the intensity of the stress and anxiety down to a workable range quickly, it becomes much easier to follow through on your action plan or utilize coping strategies you have been taught.
Let’s take a look at some of the top recommendations given to help us live healthier, but we either aren’t consistently following through on these recommendations or they aren’t enough to help us in moments of heightened stress and anxiety. A top recommendation to reduce stress is to exercise regularly. This is a great suggestion, but many people who exercise still experience heightened stress and anxiety throughout the day, especially those in high stress professions. They need a resource in the moment they need it versus sitting in their stress. Another top recommendation is to take deep breaths to calm down. Ask someone in the midst of a panic attack if they can take a deep breath. The answer is “no”. Once they begin to calm down, “then” they can take a deep breath. Getting quality sleep is one of our pillar of health, along with exercise and eating healthy. However, it is virtually impossible to get quality sleep if you are worried about something or have recently experienced a traumatic event.
If you have experienced trauma, even if you go to therapy, there will be many times in between sessions when you feel dysregulated or overwhelmed. Having a resource you can use anytime and anywhere will help you feel calmer. Regulation in the moment you need it is the missing piece to improving mental health outcomes and Bi-Tapp is the answer.
What is Bi-Tapp?
Bi-Tapp is a company that has created Bluetooth tappers that pair to the Bi-Tapp app on your phone. You are able to customize the rate of speed of the tapping and the intensity of the bilateral tapping. You may change those settings anytime you want to. Everyone is able to determine the rate of speed and the intensity of the tapping that is calming to you. This is likened to all of us going for a walk or a jog around the block, we will each find the pace that is comfortable to us very easily. You are able to use the tappers anytime you need help returning to a calmer, more regulated state. By returning to a regulated state over and over again throughout the day versus sitting in your distress, you will find that you feel better and function better.
We liken having access to a real time, non-pharmaceutical resource to help you calm down in the moment you need it to when doctors learned the importance of washing their hands in between appointments or surgeries. “Handwashing is a simple method for preventing the spread of pathogens. It is now common practice, but this was not always the case.”
Simply hand someone who is anxious, overwhelmed or activated, the tappers and watch them automatically begin to calm down, in real time. Once they are calmer, “then”, you can reason with them much better, “then”, they will be able to remember the other coping skills and strategies they have been taught.
We put the Butterfly Hug into tappers, making it even easier to get the benefit of bilateral stimulation wherever you go. Here’s to a healthier you, one tap at a time.
Additional Reading
- Fall asleep and stay asleep with Bi-Tapp
- Tools for Healing Trauma on a Global Scale
- Performance Anxiety: From panic to poise with bilateral tapping