In coaching formats, the so-called "separator" is used to take coaching clients out of an inner process and bring them back to the here and now.
Such a separator can actually be anything that brings attention back to the present. For example, you can ask the client to name 5 green objects in the room.
This approach is used by the focus-word technique, which I want to introduce to you in this micro-exercise and which you can use to "get out" of feelings of stress, because stress is also an internal process. If we come back to the here and now, we also get out of stress.
Here's how it works:
The next time you're out in the woods or in nature, say a focus word to yourself in your mind. Examples of such focus words could be: green, bird, sound, motion, light, mushroom, etc.
Afterwards, you simply pay attention to these things during your walk and try to find them in your surroundings.
What green things can you see? Can you spot one or more birds? What sounds can you perceive?
And when you're tired of one focus word, you just look for another.
But you can also take abstract things like beauty, calmness, happiness, etc. as focus words. Then you just try to find something that somehow represents these abstract ideas for you.
At the same time, you strengthen the positive feelings in you, which also gets you out of stress.
By the way: If you are out and about in the forest or in nature with your partner or a friend, you can also shout such focus words to each other.
This also works great!