Would you like to share any of your techniques in detail or is it just
a personal thing for each person to work on for themselves and find out what works?
Yes, and yes. I'm not certain but I suspect that a suite of techniques effective for calming one's mind and body are bespoke. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't share what seems to work, because inspiration and all that.
Stuff that calms my mind:
- Going out for a brisk walk while listening to music. While I'm walking, I take notice of the environment. Observing, not judging.
- Distracting with aromas. What happens when you tear open the peel of an orange and that strong citrus smell wafts up into your nose? What goes on when you open a bag of fresh roasted coffee beans or nuts? A spice jar containing cloves?
Stuff that calms my body:
- Vigorous exercise.
- A warm shower or bath.
Stuff I do when I'm near an anxiety or panic attack:
- I take two ice cubes, place one in each hand and squeeze until they're melted and my attention is fixed on how cold
this feels.
- I take a handful of the strongest flavored mints I can buy and pop them in my mouth. Hold them there until I can't stand it any longer (mouthwash also works).
- These items and more are part of my "crisis kit".
- Whatever my mind was occupied with before, I ain't thinking much about it anymore whilst mouth is full of mints and hands squeezing ice cubes.
- Is this a comforting feeling? NO, I am beyond comforting when I'm near crisis. But, it is a better problem.
Most things seem to mention breathing or meditation but I just can’t get the
hang of these.
Okay nevermind meditation, is simple awareness something you might try?
When I wake up (whenever that is), before I start my day, I perform a "preflight check". Yep, like they do on airplanes.
- Experiencing any pain?
- Did I get enough sleep?
- What am I feeling in my body right now? Where?
- What am I thinking about of holding on to, from yesterday?
- What am I already concerned for, worrying about today?
- On a rating scale of 1-10 (10 being near panic attack), what number represents my anxiety level right now?
- What are two things I can do for myself before I begin my day that could click that number down by 1?
And I remind myself: "nothing works all the time. Something works most of the time."
Did you find any of this of use to you?