The Wisdom of Counting to 10

Experience often reveals that the simplest wisdoms are the most useful ones to guide us out of tight or tough situations.

Probably one of the first stress management techniques that we're ever taught is counting from 1 to 10. When we are angry and about to explode or lose our temper, we are told, "Before you say or do something that you might regret, stop first and count from 1 to 10."

The wisdom behind counting to 10 is, of course, found in the benefits of delaying action, or even better understood, reaction, during periods of emotional disturbance.

Counting to 10 gives us the time that is needed to consider the merits of our immediate and instinctual tendencies and also to consider and measure alternate types of responses to stressful situations.

The following is a relaxation strategy that I have developed based on my experiences with psychotherapy and meditation, that I call "Counting to 10 meditation." Here's how you do it:

Sit in a comfortable position. Take a deep inhale and then slowly repeat the numbers from 1 to 10 as you exhale. When you get to the number 10 or to the end of your breath, then began the count again. Keep breathing and keep counting.

The simple act of repeating these numbers over and over again and attaching the repetition to an ongoing breathing cycle will accomplish several interesting things in just a few minutes. First of all is very difficult for you to think of anything else besides the numbers that you are repeating. As a consequence, whatever thoughts you may have been thinking at the time or might otherwise think will be passed by because your mind is already gainfully occupied.

Since numbers are not laden with very much emotional meaning, they tend to evoke minimal emotional reaction during repetition. The net result is that your mind becomes temporarily free of anxious thoughts and your body relaxes because you’re breathing deeply. As result, the mind-body mechanism is able to achieve a sort of “re-set" status, leaving you in a fairly relaxed and open state.

Practitioners should note the tendency to increase the speed or even perhaps the volume of the numbers during the recitation. Remember to say the numbers slowly and feel the resonance of the sounds in your body as they are spoken. I recommend starting with a five-minute practice and then build up to typically not more than thirty minutes. You can use a kitchen timer so you don’t have to watch the clock.

I’d like to thank all of the readers who requested copies of my relaxation exercises after the stress management piece I wrote earlier this month. New requests can be sent to my email address, below. Now, let’s begin, 1,2,3….

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