3 steps to desensitise your brain ...

STEP 1

If a disturbing thought is causing you to feel stressed or anxious, don't try to block it out. Just focus your eyes on the orange dot.

 

STEP 2

Try to hold the disturbing thought in your mind,while simultaneously keeping your eyes on the dot as it begins to move.

 

STEP 3

When the dot stops, focus only on your breath. Breathe in as the dot expands, and breathe out slowly as the dot contracts.

 

How It Works

3 steps. 3 techniques.

The Desensitiser uses exposure therapy, eye movement reprocessing and focused breathing to reduce the intensity of emotions caused by disturbing thoughts and memories.
 
There are 3 steps to the Desensitiser, each step uses a different technique to desensitise your brain.
 
STEP 1: Exposure Therapy
By holding the disturbing thought in your mind, instead of trying to block it out, you give your brain a chance to get used to it. This is known as habituation – your brain basically learns that the thought is not actually dangerous and there is no need to hit the alarm.
 
STEP 2: Eye Moment Reprocessing
By tracking the dot , while focusing on a scary thought at the same time, the scary thought becomes a little less scary. It's not fully understood why following a dot (or a finger) helps to desensitise our brains to disturbing thoughts, but it does work. Studies have shown that Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) – a therapeutic technique which uses primarily eye movement reprocessing – is an effective treatment for addiction, anxiety and PTSD.
 
STEP 3: Focused Breathing
Slow, deep breathing triggers your brains Relaxation Response (also known as the 'Rest and Digest' response), which helps to reduce stress levels.

SOURCES

1) Eye movements reduced the intensity of disturbing thought

Shapiro, F (1989). "Efficacy of the eye movement desensitization procedure in the treatment of traumatic memories". Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2 (2): 199–223.
  

2) Eye movements help to reprocess disturbing thoughts

Lee CW, Cuijpers P (2013). "A meta-analysis of the contribution of eye movements in processing emotional memories". Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry. 44 (2): 231–239.