How To Calm Down

We're humans. And when we are stressed, depressed, or mad, we don't know what to do. Here's how to cope with strong emotions and calm yourself down

Steps

1.Gently and quietly Breathe through your nose and back out through your mouth as long as you're angry or disturbed. If you feel light headed, slowly stop. However, if you are very emotional and breathing too fast, use a paper lunch bag to breathe into to slow your system down.

2.Shake your shoulders to release tension.

3.Lay down in a safe place. Close your eyes and Listen to slow music to take your mind off the emotional pressure. Let all tension in your forehead, neck and hands fade away slowly. Imagine every part of your body relaxing. Start with your head and move to your toes.

4.Take a piece of paper to write logically about what has happened and list steps of action to sort it out properly.After you write it down, throw it away by shredding. It's a symbol for throwing away those feelings you just want to get out.

5.Take time to privately relax, meditate, or pray. Great peace comes through purposely focusing on quieting one's being without worrying about distractions of the world.

6.Squeeze a stress ball at least 50 times, if you have any, if you don't you could use a sponge instead.

7.Take a walk outside alone. Go to a store or the park or even in your backyard! A good breath of fresh air always feels good.

8.Hit SOMETHING, NOT someone! Kick your sofa or punch a pillow, NEVER a person or an animal.

9.Realize that you can not control what will happen today. Know that you can control how you react to problems that will happen every day. When you find yourself getting anxious, worried or stressed because life seems to be out of control, pause, take a few deep breaths and then tell yourself a positive affirmation like: "Life is crazy but I am calm." Repeat this ten times and you will immediately sense calm.

10.Carry a picture with you of an image that makes you feel calm in a crazy world. This can be a postcard but should have scenes of nature and NOT people. Some people find images of water very calming. Carry this in your purse, wallet or briefcase but have it with you so that when you do sense you are getting anxious, you have the calm image available to look at while using your positive affirmation. Place a calm photo image at your office desk and look at it several times in the day while saying a positive affirmation like "Life is crazy but I am calm."

11.Make it a goal to live more and stress less since you have realized that life may be out of control but you are working towards complete focus and clarity and becoming more calm each day by using some of the simple tools like positive affirmations, calm photos, worry sessions, and five minutes of total quiet each day. Remember, you manage your feelings. Dont let your feelings and worry manage you!

12.Consider events in your childhood: How have your parents contributed to how you react and feel about the world? Think of traumatic, crazy events that occured between age 5-10 and isolate them. Write down memories of crazy events on a piece of paper, crumple the paper and throw out.

13.Identify the people in your life that are making you feel like the world is out of control and consider what tv shows, websites and media you view or listen to that make you feel like the world is crazy. Surround yourself with other people that are calm!

Tips

• Try pausing before reacting, breathing before speaking.

• Good advice for when you are jealous, angry, annoyed, or even hyper active!

• If you can not control your emotions at all, seek professional help through a psychologist.

• Ask your employer to offer anger management courses if you work in a stressful environment.

• When anxiety or a chaotic event or person confronts you do not immediately react. Instead, visualize the word "calm" and repeat it internally 3 times before reacting calmly.

• Try spending time with a pet or someone who can make you feel better easily. Don't use them to take your anger out on.