Felixa Toolbox
Calm your mind
By slowing down your breathing from 15 to 6 breathes per minute, you can change your feelings and how you think. Inhale through your nose for a count of four. Hold for 2 seconds and then exhale through your nose for a count of four. Repeat this process six times.
Calm your body
Muscle tension is one of the body’s reactions to fear and stress.Here's a way to overcome that:
Tense the muscles below. Make sure you can feel the tension, but not so much that it hurts. It is very important that you breathe slowly and deeply when practicing these exercises. Keep the muscles tensed for about 5 seconds. Then relax the muscles and keep them relaxed for about 10 seconds.
Hands and forearms. Clench your hands to make a fist.
Face. Raise your eyebrows up as high as they will go, as if you were surprised by something. Then squeeze your eyes shut tightly.
Shoulders. Raise your shoulders up towards your ears, tensing them. Then relax them slowly.
Hips and buttocks. Squeeze your buttock muscles together. Then relax them.
Upper leg. Tighten your thighs. Then relax them.
Lower leg. Curl your toes towards you to stretch the calf muscle. Then curl your toes downwards. Release them.
Stay Grounded
This approach will take you through your five senses to help remind you to stay present. This is a calming technique that can help you get through tough or stressful circumstances.
First, take a deep breath.
5 - LOOK: Look around for 5 things that you can see, and say them out loud. Examples are: I see the computer, I see the cup, I see the picture.
4 - FEEL: Pay attention to your body and think of 4 things that you can feel, and say them out loud. For example, you could say, I feel my feet in my socks, I feel hair on my neck, or I feel the cushion I am sitting on.
3 - LISTEN: Listen for 3 different sounds. It could be the sound of traffic outside the window, the sound of someone typing or the sound of your tummy grumbling. Say the three sounds out loud.
2 - SMELL: Say two things you can smell. If you’re able to, move somewhere else and smell something. If you can’t smell something right now, name your 2 favorite smells. For example, I smell a flower or I smell an apple pie.
1 - TASTE: Say one thing you can taste. It could be the toothpaste from brushing your teeth, or a mint you ate after lunch. If you can’t taste anything, say a favorite thing you like to taste.
Now, take another deep breath to end.