You’ve seen them, people who are calm in the midst of crisis or situations where others are screaming, anxious and overwhelmed. They serenely take charge and actively bring order to chaos, calming everyone around them in the process. They have discovered ways to quiet themselves in mind and spirit … so they’re able to physically handle life’s challenges with calmness.
Would you like to be one of those people? You can. Being calm is a skill you can learn and apply in any stress situation. Here are 10 of the best techniques…
1. Meditate for Five Minutes
Regular meditation teaches you how to calm the mind, reducing stress. Simply breathe in quickly and deeply. Then slowly blow out through the mouth as if you were blowing through a straw. Do this for just five minutes each day. Focus on your breath. Once you are used to it, remember to use this technique in any stressful situation.
2. Write and/or Share Thoughts and Feelings
Expressing your thoughts and feelings can be calming. Write them down in a journal and/or share them with a trusted friend. Whatever challenges you’re facing, the process of writing about it can often help calm your emotions and feelings and provide perspective.
3. Breathe Deeply
As mentioned above, breathing deeply is a powerful tool when it comes to helping to calm the mind. The next time you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath in, hold it for three counts, and release it slowly for six counts. Do this five times, and it will help calm you.
4. Challenge Your Thoughts
When we feel stressed, we imagine the worst-case scenario. Quickly challenge any negative thoughts. Say, “You do not need to think this right now. It likely won’t happen.” Then substitute a positive thought or review a past success that refocuses and calms your mind. You can also do something that’s fun like dancing or singing your favorite song or reading an enjoyable children’s picture book.
5. Be Mindful
Imagine doing something you’ve always wanted to do, but needed to be there to do it—something that is calming and brings a smile to your face. It could be walking on a white sand beach with palm trees above and a soft, warm breeze blowing off the ocean. You can hear the waves and see the water swirling in patterns across the sand. Feel the joy of being in this scene. Use all your senses and let calmness wash over you.
6. Do Something Practical With Your Hands
We all have activities that require calm focus as we use our hands. It could be knitting, painting, gardening, building, scrapbooking, or playing an instrument. These activities can help by switching our attention to something we love doing that’s completely calming.
7. Read or Listen to a Short Story
Read a short story, listen to a children’s story, or review an uplifting article. Any one of these reading activities will divert your thinking and likely put a smile on your face that calms your stressed mind.
8. Relax Your Body With PMR
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) involves tensing and releasing different muscle groups. It helps reduce tension and related stress. It’s a great way to relax, become calm and get to sleep after a stressful day.
9. Listen to Relaxing Music
Calming music reduces stress and helps you relax. Create a playlist of your favorite tracks designed to calm your mind. Put it in your music list for easy access when you’re feeling stressed.
10. Go for a Walk and Get Fresh Air
Regular physical exercise calms and clears your mind and reduces tension. Find a time in your day to take a quick walk, do a chair workout or practice yoga. It could be early in the morning, during your lunch break or a designated time after work. Do this outdoors when weather allows. Being in nature has a calming effect on our minds.
Bonus: Give the Stress to the Lord
I note that all of the techniques above have you taking your focus off the stress. In other words, you’re being told to “Let if go! Let it go!”
That’s exactly what you do when you not only let the stressful event perpetrated by someone else go by forgiving, you give your negative feelings producing the stress to the Lord.
When you give it to Christ, he literally takes it so that you cannot pick it up again. Recall the scriptures tell us that Christ atoned for our sins and all the difficult negative experiences we endure in this life as a result of the acts of others or the seemingly unfair circumstances of life. His power of redemption puts a plus in your favor, because you let it go and gave it to him.