20 quick ways to feel calm

So with everything that’s going on right now and it seems it might get a bit worse before it gets better, I thought I would share some calming techniques with you to counter the stress you might be feeling.

I suffer from anxiety anyway so I have to be mindful every day to keep my mind present and keep my anxious feelings at bay so these are tried and tested. I hope some of these work for you too and bring you a moment of calm in your day.

1. Breathe - pretty obvious I guess but consciously breathing is different. Sit or stand, both feet on the ground, adjust your posture until your heart is lifted, your shoulders are back, spine straight, relax and open your palms and then take ten deep slow breaths and see how you feel.

2. A cup of tea - no brainer! and making a call to a friend at the same time, even better.

3. A warm meal - could be anything, the warmth will comfort you from the inside out.

4. A glass of water drank slowly - hydrate yourself

5. Move - shift your energy, go for a walk, dance, run, do yoga, jump up and down, whatever it takes!

6. Bath or shower - let the water run over you and wash your cares away, refresh

7. Read something you enjoy

8. Watch something you enjoy

9. Listen to something you enjoy…you get my drift…

10. Practice gratitude - fear can’t live in gratitude - so what are you grateful for today? Think it, say it out loud, write it down, share it with someone else.

11. Write, journal, draw, colour, express yourself on the page and get it out

12. Play the shouting game - this is a good one - just shout as loud as you possibly can, if you’re worried about the neighbours, try doing it into a pillow, and feel that release (you can also play this with the kids, they love it)

13. Don’t try and run from your feelings, don’t hide from them or try to fix them, be with them and know that it’s ok, they’ll pass, all feelings do and it’s natural to feel every emotion especially at the moment. Place your left hand over your heart and your right hand on your belly and say out loud, ‘Even though I feel _________(scared, anxious, angry, upset…), I deeply and completely love and accept myself. Own your feelings and feel the difference.

14. Lie down, close your eyes, rest for a moment

15. Be in nature even if it’s your own garden or simply caring for your house plants and marvel at it, there is so much beauty in nature

16. Create an emotional playlist - maybe you want to put all your fave songs together to completely uplift you, or maybe you need a good cry and have songs that bring that to the surface for you or music you can really move to…let the music take you somewhere new

17. Ground yourself - when anxious feelings set in, it can feel a bit like you’re taking off because you’re so in your head…get back into that gorgeous body of yours - look around you, focus on your body, your breath, notice things around you, what can you smell, hear, taste, connect back to where you are and with your senses, close your eyes and breathe

18. Mindful activity - what do you do that absorbs your attention and helps you switch off? I love to cook, I can get really into it and my mind goes quiet…or maybe you like pottering about the house, painting, crafty projects, maybe you can spend some time creating…

19. Do you have a set of affirmation cards? A favourite quote? A loved poem? Stick it somewhere you can see it and visit it when you’re feeling anxious, thoughts become things

20. And finally write a letter to someone you love and tell them why you love them, then go post it, share the love

Doula love as always

Jenna

x

earthside, my new postnatal online course is out on Monday

@theminimalistdoula - www.theminimalistdoula.com