🌬️ Mental Allergies: How to Manage Your Mind's Sneezes

Hello and welcome.

I recently had to take a break from shooting videos due to a persistent dust allergy. Imagine trying to speak on camera while sneezing every few seconds! So, here I am—with a handkerchief in hand—talking to you not just about physical allergies, but something just as important and often overlooked:

Mental Allergies.

🤧 What Are Mental Allergies?

Just like dust or pollen can trigger a physical sneeze, mental allergies are invisible emotional triggers that spark sudden reactions—anger, frustration, disappointment, or sadness—often without warning.

They come from:

• A colleague not replying on time

• A delayed email

• A system glitch

• A broken expectation

• A personal criticism

You don’t get a warning. You just… react. Just like a sneeze. Uncontrollable, sudden, and often messy.

So the question is:
If you use a handkerchief to manage a sneeze, what do you use to manage a mental sneeze?

🧘‍♀️ The Concept of a Felt Resource

Here’s where we introduce the idea of a Felt Resource.

A felt resource is a neutral or positive stimulus that helps you momentarily pause the emotional tsunami rushing toward you.

It's like having a mental handkerchief—a tool that buys you just a few microseconds of awareness, giving you the power to respond instead of react.

That tiny pause can save you from:

• Saying something harsh

• Sending that email in anger

• Losing your calm in a meeting

• Mentally spiraling into anxiety

A felt resource might be:

• A grounding breath

• A physical touch, like placing your hand on your chest

• Looking at a calming image

• A soothing phrase like “This too shall pass”

• A 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise (5 things you see, 4 you touch, etc.)

🧠 Why Does This Work?

Because at every moment, your mind and body are connected.

When a trigger hits, your nervous system gets activated before your logic can catch up. But most of us don’t pay attention to what’s happening physically in that moment.

Are you clenching your jaw? Is your chest tight? Are you fidgeting?

By using a felt resource, you anchor your awareness back to your body. This shift creates an embodied moment of stillness—and that stillness gives your thinking brain a chance to step in.

And in that moment?

You have a choice.

🌱 Self-Awareness Meets Emotional Regulation

We’ve spoken about conceptual self-awareness (knowing your thoughts) and embodied self-awareness (knowing what your body is feeling).

Felt resources connect the two.

They allow you to notice:

“Wait, something’s happening inside me. Let me pause. Let me breathe. Let me respond.”

When you build this ability, you become less reactive, more centered, and vastly more in control of your responses.

🧰 Try This: Find Your Mental Handkerchief

Here are some ideas to try the next time you feel triggered:

1. Grounding – Plant both feet on the floor. Feel the support beneath you.

2. Orienting – Slowly look around. Notice 5 things in your environment.

3. Centering – Breathe deeply into your belly. Say something kind to yourself.

You can also save a favorite calming video, image, quote, or mantra—your custom felt resource—to turn to in moments of emotional activation.

🎁 Final Thought

If you experience mental allergies—and we all do—don’t wait for them to blow up into emotional storms. Have your mental handkerchief ready. Find your felt resource and use it as a bridge to regain control and clarity.

Because while triggers may not be in your control, your reaction to them always is—especially when you have the tools to pause, breathe, and respond with intention.

Thank you for reading.
I hope you start exploring and practicing your own felt resources, and we’ll continue this journey in the next blog/video.