Self Care Tips for When You Need To CALM DOWN 😰

I’ve gotten a lot better over the years, but it can still be easy for me to overthink, overreact, panic, or just become anxious in general—especially when I’m exhausted or feeling particularly vulnerable. When my heart rate starts going, I try to implement some of these strategies. I don’t claim to be a medical or mental health professional, but these are all methods that I’ve received and talked through with therapists over the years. Some of these professionals were CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) or DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) specialists, so if you’re familiar with those, you might find these familiar to you :)

😮‍💨Control your breathing - This is a big one for me. My CBT-specialized therapist who helped me specifically with OCD told me that my body physically HAS to calm down if I implement this particular breathing method. Exhaling longer than the amount of time you’re inhaling (even up to twice as long) will activate your parasympathetic nervous system (which helps you rest) AND deactivate the sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight/freeze).

👂🏼Use your senses - Grounding is a really popular technique nowadays to help people calm down and become present, and I’m glad it’s becoming more talked about! It involves actively using your five senses in order to feel more “in your body” again. I’ve been part of a Zoom therapy group that focuses on DBT, and we put together an emergency kit filled with things we can use to help us ground. This is something you can do easily at home!

🧘🏻‍♀️Try a guided meditation - Whether you’re into Bible verses like me, affirmations, or using apps like Calm, participating in a guided meditation with something as your anchor can be a great way to get your mind off of whatever you’re panicking about, and to focus on something true and steady instead.

Let me know if any of these work for you!

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