Are you looking for techniques to help you remain calm in stressful situations? Life throws lemons at everyone. Without effective stress management, even minor issues can escalate into persistent problems. Knowing how to remain calm in challenging moments is essential for your mental health and well-being. Here is how deep breathing, mindfulness, aromatherapy, progressive relaxation, visualization, and CBD oil or gummies for stress can help you remain calm when life throws curve balls.
Deep Breathing
Breathing techniques divert your mind from worry or stressors, preventing hypervigilance and promoting thought rationalization. Deep and slow breaths may activate the parasympathetic nervous system, stimulating rest and digestion. This system counteracts the fight-or-flight response or anxiety triggered by stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, leading to feelings of relaxation and calmness.
Deep breathing also stimulates the vagus nerve, a major highway connecting the brain and body, which calms the nervous system and inhibits stress hormones. Examples of deep breathing techniques include
- 4-7-8 Breathing – inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds.
- Box Breathing – inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and then pause for 4 seconds before repeating.
- Equal Breathing – inhale and exhale in equal count. Breathe in for 4 seconds and out for 4 seconds.
- Belly Breathing – place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Inhale deeply, allowing your belly to rise, then exhale slowly, feeling your belly fall.
Mindfulness
The art of paying non-judgmental attention at the present moment reduces emotional reactivity, increases awareness of physical sensations, and breaks the negative thought loop. By anchoring your attention to the present, you avoid mental distractions that contribute to feeling overwhelmed. It also encourages acceptance of your current state without judgment, fostering inner peace and reducing self-criticism that can exacerbate stress.
Here is how to calm yourself down using mindfulness. Be present in the moment. Feel the texture and taste of your food. Enjoy the aromas. Avoid rushing and take your time to chew. Fully engage in conversations, practice active listening, observe non-verbal cues, and empathize with the speaker. Listen to your body. Notice the tension and massage it, starting from your toes and working your way up.
Aromatherapy
Some scents can help you in keeping calm in stressful situations. Essential oil compounds found in lavender, chamomile, and bergamot travel directly to the limbic system, the brain’s emotional processing center, and interact with receptors in the limbic system, triggering calming responses. Lavender also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which inhibits the fight-or-flight response and stress hormones. Aromatherapy can slow the heart, breathing, and blood pressure, promoting tranquility.
Progressive Relaxation
This technique involves systematically tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in the body to promote physical relaxation and reduce tension. By consciously releasing muscle tension, you can signal to your body that it’s safe to relax, helping to alleviate stress and anxiety.
Visualization
You can also use guided imagery to induce calmness. The technique involves using your imagination to curate peaceful and positive images, helping you escape stressful situations. Here is how to calm the mind using visualization. Imagine a soothing image that can help you escape your immediate troubling reality or remain resilient through the challenge. It could be a memory from childhood, a happy past experience, or a planned trip in the future.
Relaxation Techniques
Using CBD for relaxing your mind and body is another beneficial calming technique. Cannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system, a network of receptors found throughout the body that promote relaxation. Using CBD products to calm and relax your mind and body may help support a balanced mood for your comfort.
