Calming Strategies

Pastor Charles Swindoll famously said, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react.” There are many uncontrollable things you experience every day: sitting in traffic, getting a cold, having an uncomfortable conversation with someone important … the list goes on and on.

The reality is you will most likely face some sort of stressor daily. However, instead of focusing on the stressor, you should focus on the strategies that can help you respond to stressful situations in a healthy way.

Finding a calming strategy that works for you can take trial and error as well as practice. Below are a few suggestions to try.

1. Incorporate relaxation strategies

Relaxation strategies provide a great way to de-stress and calm down. Relaxation can help you cope with everyday stress and stress from specific problems or issues. Focusing on calming your breathing will help the rest of your body relax. There are a lot of great online resources, including YouTube, for each of these programs.

• • • • Autogenic relaxation: allows you to relax each part of your body by imagining that it is warm and heavy, your heart rate is slow and steady and your forehead is cool
      • Progressive muscle relaxation: focuses on slowly tensing and relaxing each muscle group for 5 to 30 seconds (example: squeezing your toes and then relaxing them), working your way up your body
      • Visualization: using your senses to visualize something peaceful and relaxing (example: visualizing a beach and thinking of the smell of the saltwater air, the sound of the crashing waves and the warmth of the sun on your body)

2. Exercise

Exercise can get your endorphins, or feel-good hormones, pumping in your body. This can help you combat stress. It also is a great distraction. By taking time to focus on exercise, you distract yourself from the stress you are feeling, which can leave you more focused, clear and calm when you return.

3. Read a book

Reading can relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. Try curling up with a good book to decompress after a stressful day.

4. Journal

This is a very effective way to manage stress, process difficult emotions and grow personally. Whether you write about your feelings or what you are grateful for, the benefits of journaling are wonderful.

5. Listen to music

Music can be a wonderful way to calm your mind and body. It has been proven to relax muscles, which in turn can relax your mind.

6. Color, draw or paint

You don’t have to be a master artist to enjoy the arts. Coloring, drawing, painting, working with clay and pursuing other artistic outlets can relax your mind and enable you to focus on something new.

7. Talk with a friend

Talking with a friend can help you express your feelings, which allows you to process them. Additionally, catching up with a friend can help you laugh, and laughter can improve your mood, reduce your stress levels and boost your immune system.

8. Meditate

Taking time to minimize your thoughts and focus inward on your breathing can bring relaxation and inner peace. Meditation can be 5 minutes, 60 minutes or any length of time you want. It’s best to start small and add more time as you practice. If you’ve never meditated, try one of our short guided meditations to get started.

9. Other calming strategies:

• • • • Go outside
      • Express gratitude to someone special
      • Just breathe!
      • Make a list of things you are grateful for
      • Play with a pet
      • Squeeze a stress toy or use a fidget spinner
      • Stretch
      • Drink a cup of tea
      • Do a puzzle
      • Sing your favorite song
      • Get a massage or practice self-massaging techniques like foam rolling
      • Read inspirational quotes

Remember: We are all different. Something that works for you may not work for someone else. Your goal is find tools that truly help you relax and calm down. Building a toolbox of calming strategies isn’t just a great goal for yourself. Teach this tactic to your kids, family members and friends as well!

These strategies can take practice, so the next time you are feeling stressed about things you can’t control, take a moment to give one a try.

About the author

Lauren Scotti

Ms. Lauren Scotti is Vice President, Director of Slainte Fitness, and Personal Development Team Leader at USLI, leading the Slainte team and organizing the company’s recreational sports teams and wellness initiatives. Ms. Scotti enjoys staying active by running, teaching HIIT classes and strength training. Ms. Scotti also enjoys coaching others about creating positive changes and incorporating healthier habits into their lives.