Calm Your Troubled Mind With These Adult Self-Calming Techniques
Parents of young children with great feelings may be familiar with self-soothing techniques or ways their children can help regulate their emotions and calm down. And since as adults we are familiar with destructive emotions such as anger, sadness, and fear, not to mention our everyday stress and anxiety, we can benefit from some self-soothing strategies of our own. Here are some of them that you can try.
Self-soothing techniques for adults.
The next time you’re going through a period of stress or anxiety, or experiencing upsetting emotions, try one of these self-soothing strategies:
- 5-4-3-2-1 Technique : Distract yourself by naming five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can try.
- Deep Breathing : Focus on your breathing . As you inhale, tighten your stomach, abdominal muscles, and diaphragm. Exhale slowly, under control.
- Test Yourself : If your mind is boiling while you’re trying to prepare for the worst-case scenario, don’t take your thoughts at face value . At such times, we may think vaguely and mistakenly perceive the situation as a fact, when in fact it is a false belief.
- Change location : When you are overwhelmed with emotions, get up and go somewhere else if you can. If you have the opportunity to go outside and take a walk, that’s even better. The idea is to literally remove yourself from the situation and the stress, anxiety, or destructive emotions you are experiencing.
It is also important to note that for some people, anxiety is not a fleeting feeling of nervousness that they can easily regulate. If you fall into this category or are struggling with other mental health issues, your best bet is to talk to your doctor.