What Is The STOPP Technique - with Clinical Psychologist Dr Emily Haythornthwaite
🧠The technique that buys you time before you react.
When you’re in a high-distress moment, the gap between feeling something and doing something can disappear completely. That’s where the damage often happens.
The STOP technique is a simple, evidence-based method designed to create that gap back.
S — Stop. Pause. Physically cease what you’re doing.
T — Take a breath. Slow and deep, in through the nose, out through the mouth.
O — Observe. Notice your thoughts, your bodily sensations, the urge to react.
P — Pull back. Remind yourself that thoughts are not facts. Zoom out. Ask whether this will matter in 12 months.
P — Proceed with what works. Choose the action that aligns with your values, not your distress.
The catch is that this only works if you practise it before you need it.
Which step do you think you’d find hardest in the moment?
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