From The New York Times
This New York Times article shares tips for self-soothing in times of distress. It was written during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the strategies can be useful in any stressful stretch.
Three Takeaways
- Pacing your breath. Slowing your breathing to about six breaths a minute may help ease anxiety.
- Practicing anchoring. Notice whether you are caught in thinking that is not helping you. Our interpretations of events can raise the intensity of what is happening around us.
- Cooling off, literally. Lowering your body temperature with water can activate the dive response, a reflex that happens when you cool your nostrils while holding your breath, which can lower the intensity of physical and emotional responses.
A Note From PPG
Different strategies work for different people, and it is fine to try a few and keep what helps. If you have a heart condition or another health concern, check with your doctor before trying breath holding or cold water. If stress feels hard to manage on your own, individual therapy can help you build a set of tools that fits you.
Related Care and Reading
- Adult Therapy: Individual therapy for adults.
- Fight or Flight: Working With Our Responses to Fear: How the body responds to stress.
- 7 Tips for Reducing Holiday Stress: Ideas for managing stress during busy seasons.
