We seem to be in turbulent times. In such times, we are challenged to learn how to calm ourselves, our innards. To know how to calm oneself can be an important gift to give ourselves and those around us. Emotions can be wild things. We might think they just are our emotions. What can we do? They are real and they are happening. And yes, when a horrible thing happens we will have thoughts and feelings about it. How do we help ourselves calm down? Some people feel they live with adrenaline pumping through them most of the day, based on rushing through their daily life, a feeling of urgency with most things, and the awful news coming from the bigger world of news. The constant adrenaline shooting through the body stresses and fatigues it, and seems to lead to anxious feelings.  We all seem to experience levels of anxiety these days. It ain’t fun that’s for sure and too much of it becomes a health risk, especially to our adrenal glands.

So how can we calm ourselves down? What soothes you when you are upset or agitated? Breathing 3 deep breathes right away as we feel ourselves start to get upset, or feel a large emotion about to take hold. Maybe Breathe in for 3 seconds and out for 3 seconds. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. It is quick, easy and available to us all. Breathe deeply before making that phone call you’ve been putting off. Breathe deeply in common daily moments as a reminder and soother for yourself; maybe as you stand at the check out counter, sitting on the bus, walking, driving, waiting. Take some deep breathing moments each day and notice how your body responds.

Maybe a walk in nature, amongst the flora or fauna in your area, soothes you and brings you a sense of calm? Or taking a quiet moment for yourself to sit, listen to music, draw, write or read some pages from a favorite book.

Self-soothing is an important power to have over oneself, as anything outside of ourselves might surprise, hurt, annoy or please us when we least expect it. To self-soothe, or bring our core to a clearer, calmer space means we can be in charge of how we feel and respond. We have that power. And it is an important power to cultivate.

When we find what soothes us, maybe we can share what we’ve learned with others. That way we all help one another share and add more “tools to our toolboxes” to feel better equipped in these wild times.