Tips to get Calm and Centered
In this day and age when stress and overwhelm is common for people from all walks of life, it is crucial and vital for us to learn ways to get ourselves back to feeling ok. In this post, you’ll learn 3 simple strategies you can use anytime, anywhere to calm your nerves and self-sooth.
1. Heart hold
Placing one hand on your heart, and another on your belly, do deep belly breathing, placing focus and attention on the breath and feel yourself at peace. It is recommended to have the exhale longer than the inhale to stimulate the vague nerve and activate the rest nervous system in your body. Doing so, you are sending a signal in your body that you are safe and it is ok to relax.
An alternative: Placing both hands on your heart, repeat “I am safe, I am secure”.
2. Havening technique
According to Healthline: Havening refers to a newer alternative therapy technique that incorporates distraction, touch, and eye movements. Its goal is to reduce anxiety and distress associated with negative memories.
How it goes is stroking the sides of your arms in a downward motion, adding just a bit of pressure. You can do this for 5 mins or for 10 mins for as long as you’d like. The havening method is a psychosensory technique that when done for stress-relieve sends signals to the brain to raise the feel-good chemicals.
Another way to practice the havening method is to stroke the sides of your face, from the sides of your cheek down to the sides of the jaw.
3. Box breathing
A well-known technique is the box breathing technique. The box breathing technique is a simple exercise that you can use anywhere you go, it’s aim is to regulate your breath to it’s normal rhythm, clear the mind and improve sense of peace in a stressful situation. Here are the steps:
Breathing in through the nose for a count of 4, focusing on the breath entering your lungs
Hold for a count of 4
Breathing out through the mouth for a count of 4, letting all the anxious and stress feelings go together with the out-breath
Hold for a count of 4
Repeat steps 1-4 until you feel grounded and centered
Which method will you try the next time you feel stress or anxious? We want to hear from you, let us know in the comments section below.
Since you’re here, be sure to subscribe to our email list and be part of the EB Tribe. You’ll get instant access to a powerful training guide that I created to help you release the critical, judgmental thoughts in your mind 📩. You’ll also get exclusive content, some special love notes, and personal updates from me that I simply don't share anywhere else 🤫
