Our minds alert us to danger and help us to be safe and to survive, so it is important to listen to our fears and to take action when necessary. However, sometimes these messages keep playing over and over, and we spend much of our day with our bodies in the fight-flight-freeze mode and our minds in an anxious and hypervigilant state. This state of being is not only exhausting, it can erode our health and our sense of well-being. When we acknowledge our fears and update them with uplifting messages, it can help us calm down.
What follows are five key ways to calm your mind.
1. Calm Your Body
The body-mind connection is powerful, so one of the best ways to calm your mind is to relax your body. When our bodies are relaxed, we receive sensory feedback commonly associated with safety, and this can help us move out of fear and anxiety. In addition, when we focus on how our bodies feel as we are relaxing, it can give us a break from the stressful thoughts that are keeping us ramped-up. For practical ways to relax, check out the post: 5 Ways To Calm The Body.
2. Get Grounded
When you feel like you are spinning, focus on feeling the soles of your feet on the ground. While you are standing there, take some deep breaths, and unlock your knees and hips. You can even picture roots coming out of your feet and burrowing deep into the earth.
3. Watch Your Mental Diet
Decrease your consumption of information that feeds your fear. Take in what you need to be safe and informed so you can make life-giving decisions, and leave the rest.
4. Comfort Yourself
When we accept, support, and love ourselves, we calm down. So, give yourself comforting messages. It may be helpful to say them out loud or to write them down. If this is difficult, picture yourself as a child and tell yourself what you have always wanted or needed to hear.
5. Fill Up On Hope
Life is in constant flux; it is always changing. It may be an uphill climb, but there are sure to be peaks up ahead. So, when life looks grim, remind yourself that “this too shall pass”.
Remember, that no matter what is happening in your world- love and light are always present. Look for it in the dark times, and if you can't see it consider checking out the following post for some practical suggestions: 5 Ways To Increase Spiritual Awareness.
These actions are not always easy, but they are worth the effort. Because when we move out of the fear state, it becomes possible to experience more peace even when life is tough. Our minds are then free to contemplate more life-giving, open, and creative options for ourselves and for others.
💜≈ For more information to heal the body-mind-spirit, consider checking out my book, Healing with Awareness.