You Need to Calm Down
You could bookmark a breathing or meditation video on your phone. Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, or our 'rest and digest' system. The parasympathetic nervous system balances the sympathetic nervous system, which is our fight or flight system. So the parasympathetic nervous system is the system in our bodies that is responsible for calming us down when we're stressed, anxious, or angry.
When someone is upset with a loved one, for example, it can help to write that person a “letter,” but without sending it. This might help clarify a person’s feelings and calm them down. The study authors worked with 66 healthcare workers who journaled about important traumatic, Calm Down. Hat emotional, or stressful events for 20 minutes each day. They revealed that journaling had a positive impact on their coping strategies and improved their communication and cognitive abilities. Negative feelings can often feel toxic when people ruminate on them.
CALM DOWN. It’s not a lifestyle. It’s THE lifestyle. A reminder that true power lies in staying centered. You don’t win by being rattled or restless. You win by staying cool, calm, and collected.
Whether stepping into a boardroom, hitting the gym, or living your everyday hustle, one thing remains true: greatness comes from a clear mind. CALM DOWN is the mantra that brings focus back to where it belongs. Because when the world speeds up, the best slow it down.
CALM DOWN. CALMATE:
Developing an intentional morning routine, learning how to say “no,” and indulging your desire to create are a few tidbits of advice. Still not convinced that slow living is all it’s cracked up to be? Slowing down in our fast-paced world can seem like a pipedream. I encourage you to dig a little deeper and try a few changes in your own life to see if it might not be as far out of reach as it seems.
💙 Take less than five minutes to Pause To Check In with yourself each morning. Slowing down can help you get present and tune in to what you need. 💙 Prioritize rest and ease into restorative sleep with help from a soothing Sleep Story narrated by Matthew McConaughey. Focusing on yourself means establishing a relationship with yourself that’s as caring and attentive as the relationships you have with others. It's giving yourself permission to put your needs first, and it goes beyond occasional pampering or relaxation.
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 186,104 times. Understand these aren't the only cognitive distortions.
You don't have to meditate for hours to see a benefit. Even taking 15 minutes a day to meditate can help you become calmer. For example, some people find it helpful to meditate as soon as they wake up in the morning. Just hit the snooze on your alarm, sit up, and focus on your breathing. Many research studies have shown that mindfulness practice can help relieve stress.Recognize the experience.
You know that swollen feeling in the throat of trying to “choke back tears? Nothing inspires mindful breathing more than blowing on a hot beverage. There are happy tears, angry tears, tears of frustration, grief, or embarrassment. Even though it’s a universal experience, most people don’t want to cry in front of others.
Breathing exercises can be an extremely effective way to reduce stress. When faced with feelings of stress and anxiety, people often engage in rapid, shallow breathing. Learning to take deeper, slower breaths can help ease the body's stress response. Techniques like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can help you calm the stress response when dealing with an acute stressor, which can provide short-term stress relief. Other strategies like spending time with supportive people, practicing meditation, and doing yoga can help combat symptoms of chronic stress.
Then, you start paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and body sensations, noticing them without trying to change or judge them. The key is to observe and understand how often these elements change, helping you learn not to react to every thought or feeling you have. Engage in mindfulness exercises or meditation to help bring your focus back to the present and reduce feelings of overwhelm. A beloved activity or unique interest should be a part of your daily routine if you lead a slow lifestyle.
Joy can require time, care, attention, and the right conditions to flourish. In essence, happiness is a combination of how we feel inside and how we choose to view the world. It's about finding joy in the small things, appreciating what we have, and cultivating a positive outlook on life. By understanding and embracing this mindset, we can take meaningful steps toward a more joyful and fulfilling existence. Truly enjoying life is about more than fleeting moments of happiness, it's about cultivating an enduring sense of contentment.
To relax using visualization, try to use as many senses as you can, such as smell, sight, sound and touch. If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, think about the salt water's smell, the sound of crashing waves and the feel of the warm sun on your body. In visualization, you may form mental pictures to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation.
Others might prefer calming activities like coloring books, Wooden puzzles, or quiet games. Melanie Yates is the Senior Digital Editor at House Beautiful, where she oversees design, gardening, and home renovation content. Since joining the team in 2024, Melanie ideates, assigns, and edits digital stories from in-house and freelance writers and helps execute big-picture projects for the brand.