Tools for Self-Regulation

(How to calm down!)

There are lots of ways to use your body to calm down your mind. Here is a short list of things to do when you feel agitated (meaning your sympathetic nervous system is engaged and you are in flight/fight or freeze) or you are obsessing:

1. Dance - Youtube is full of dance routines ranging from 5-60 minutes. If you feel stuck or shy and uncoordinated, watch one while clapping your hands and tapping your feet. The energy will start to shift before you know it. No one is watching so move about!

2. Rub your hands together briskly to generate heat and place your hands on your heart. While you do that repeat a mantra you need to hear such as: I am okay, This is passing, I am allowed to feel this feeling and it will pass, I am worthwhile).

3. Ask yourself if the worry/concern/anger is fact or fiction? We often create a narrative for worry and then believe it. If it is fact, enlist helpers to talk it through with you and make some plans/responses. If it is a story you are creating, do a plot twist where it ends well or never happens at all.

4. Listen to a meditation guide - I personally love Tara Brach's talks on her website - they are free and she often has a way to help you manage the moment and move into the next moment.

5. Start or join a meditation or book group. Rely on others to help you feel grounded.

6. Ground yourself by taking a walk, petting a beloved animal or do some baking where you get your hands dirty or knead dough.

7. LAUGH - as low or angry as you feel, there are a lot of free videos from so many comics who can make us laugh. Laughter tells your brain, s does smiling, that things will be okay.

Whatever you do, dedicating your body and mind, yes you can also use breath, will help turn around some harder moments for you.