Grab a cuppa and take a seat.
If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed right now, please know that that’s ok.
Take three deep breaths!
Inhale…
Exhale…
Repeat.
Release any tensions you might have in your body. Unclench your jaw. Drop your shoulders.
Can you feel yourself calming down a bit?
Good! Practicing deep breathing is a powerful tool to have – especially on the days that feel extra hard.
You’ve got this
I’m going to share more activities with you that will help you to soothe your soul in stressful situations.
They help me and my clients to feel calmer and more balanced. If that’s how you want to feel too, keep reading.
All those tools are pretty easy to implement, because the last thing I want to do is stress you out even more by giving you activities that are difficult or possibly even unattainable for you to do right now.
In times of stress or overwhelm, it’s easy to get completely sucked up into what’s going on around us. We tend to focus on all the bad things and feel hopeless. We wish for those times to pass by. And they do eventually. Until that’s the case though, there are ways to take back your power.
Just because the world around us seems out of sorts, doesn’t mean that there’s nothing we can do about it.
If you feel worried and anxious, go ahead and feel it! But please don’t get stuck in those feelings.
We process our feelings by allowing ourselves to feel them all – the good and the bad. However, at some point we need to look forward.
So once you have acknowledged and felt your feelings, you can begin to soothe your soul.
And here are 20 ways to do exactly that:
- Have mantras or affirmations that support you. Repeat them often. (Examples: I can do hard things. Progress over perfection. When I rest, I rise.)
- Have a space in your home to retreat to and be by yourself.
- Find something that you can control. For example: declutter your home, clear out your wardrobe or sort through old photos and files and your laptop.
- Listen to music that either calms you or that gets you dancing.
- Go outside and get some fresh air. Breathe in deeply and stretch your body.
- Come back to the here and now. You could meditate or simply practice mindfulness by noticing what you can smell, touch, hear, see and taste right in this moment.
- Watch something funny or silly and laugh out loud. Release those endorphins!
- Reach out to people. Even if you’re an introvert, you still need connection. Call or message a friend or family member. Check in with them and build meaningful relationships.
- Exercise. It doesn’t have to be a full body workout, if that’s not your thing. Just get your body moving in whatever way feels good to you. Make it fun.
- Gratitude. Name at least three things you’re grateful for and why!
- Fake smile. Yes, that’s right. Influence your brain by smiling for a minute – even if it’s a fake smile!
- Be creative. For example, you could paint, draw, write, sing, cook or come up with a new game. What did you enjoy doing as a child? Do that and see how it feels.
- Take a nap (if you can) or go to bed early. It’s ok to take it slow and rest.
- Grab a journal and write down everything that swirls around in your mind. Get it out of your head and onto paper.
- Read a good book or listen to an inspiring podcast.
- Be very mindful of what you consume. Whether that’s the news, social media or TV shows. How does it make you feel? Does it support you to feel more at ease and relaxed? If not, what are you going to do about it?
- Imagine yourself in 20 years time. What do you look like? Where do you live and who with? What do you do? Then write a letter to yourself from that perspective. What would your future-self want you to know right now? How would your future-self support and soothe you? (Give yourself time for this exercise and be compassionate.)
- Give other people the benefit of the doubt and make an effort to notice the good things happening in the world.
- Amplify your strengths. What are you good at? How could you use this strength of yours to support other people? Helping others gives us a sense of agency. Only give when you have something to give though. If you feel drained, take care of yourself first!
- And finally: Ask yourself what you can learn from this whole situation. Can you see it as an opportunity for growth?
There you have it. That’s 20 ways to calm your mind and sooth your soul. Now that you’ve read all those tips, the question is…
What are you going to do?
What do you need right now to soothe your soul? How are you going to support yourself?
PS: Don’t forget, those tips are NOT meant to help you bypass your feelings. Acknowledge them. They are all valid and part of you.