sooth·ing
adjective
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having a gently calming effect.
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reducing pain or discomfort.
How do you soothe your mind + body in moments where anxiety takes over?
Does anything come to mind right off the bat—or do you sometimes feel like you get too swept up to even begin soothing in moments of anxiety?
Last week on Instagram, I posted about self-soothing and why it's so important. That post seemed to get a lot of traction—and it was posted prior to the stress felt during and after the attack on the US Capitol—so if anything, the need for self-soothing techniques has increased in the past week.
I felt all of the feelings last week.
Every so often, I am reminded that we have been collectively anxious for almost 10 months now due to the Covid-19 pandemic—10 months of adjusting our lives, hearing about growing case numbers and deaths, wondering when things will improve...
Then we have the ongoing racial injustice and white supremacy taking place in the US, which is just plain heartbreaking and exhausting...
Bundle that up with the everyday stresses each of us face: deadlines at work, a disagreement with a loved one, a never-ending to-do list—and we have quite the need for self-soothing.
And in those moments of anxiety, our bodies tend to want to fight, flight or freeze—which may manifest as: tight chest, increased heart rate, racing mind, palms sweating and more.
When these type of physiological reactions occur, it's important to bring awareness to the situation and regulate it on our own, vs. always relying on others to do so. After all, the only person you are with 100% of the time is yourself, right?
Below are a few categories of self-soothing that I find to be the most important and beneficial.
Moving your body
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going for a quick brisk walk outside
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excusing yourself from the room to shake out your body and reset physically
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stretching or yoga
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dancing to your favorite song
Breathing
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box breathing—inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds. repeat 10 times.
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inhale through one nostril for 5 seconds, then exhale through the other nostril for 5 seconds (pressing down on the nostril not being used lightly with your finger to block airflow as needed). repeat 10 times.
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take a deep inhale through your nose, and when you exhale, close your teeth to make the hissing sound of a snake—slowly exhale while making the hissing sound. repeat 10 times
Mindset
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come up with a mantra or phrase before your next flight-or-flight reactionary moment that will help bring you clarity and pattern interrupt your thoughts in the moment. an example could be: “this too shall pass” or “I am in charge of how I respond.”
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look through some of your favorite photos or videos that bring you joy. whether this is a “favorited” album in your phone, or some photos you can carry around with you that calm you down—this technique almost always works for me in a heightened state of anxiety.
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practice flipping the script from anxiety to gratitude—even if it's something small and silly in the moment, answer the question: "what can I be grateful for right now, even amidst the anxiety?"
[insert your favorite self-soothing activity]
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organizing?
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cleaning?
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bubble bath?
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phone a trusted friend?
It's important to pick a couple self-soothing tactics to keep in your anxiety toolbox before you need to use them. This way, you're proactive and prepared instead of reactive and flustered.
So next time you are experiencing anxiety, which self-soothing tool will you be implementing?
Comment below!
