Brain Booth at Georgia Southern University Libraries

The Mindfulness Tip of the Week is going on vacation for Summer 2024 and will return during the first week of classes in the Fall.  Best wishes for a relaxing Summer!

Mindfulness Tip of the Week

from The Brain Booth at GS Libraries

4.29.2024

Four Ways to Calm Your Mind in Stressful Times

We know how to become stressed. Most of us are really good at getting wound up. The question becomes, then, how do you wind down?

Try these practices for a calmer, more relaxed state of mind:

1. Practice Breathing Exercises. Our breathing is a powerful way for us to regulate our emotions, and it is something we take for granted. One of the most calming breathing exercises you can do is to breathe in (e.g., to a count of four), hold, and then breathe out for up to twice as long (e.g., to a count of eight). You can gently constrict your throat, making a sound like the ocean, which is used in deep relaxation breathing.
2. Adopt an Attitude of Self-Compassion. Self-compassion is the ability to be aware of the emotions that are going on inside whenever you fail at something. It doesn’t mean you identify with them; you can just observe and notice them, without feeding the fire. So, when we adopt this attitude we are calmer, we become less stressed, and more resilient.
3. Foster Genuine Connection. Our greatest human need, after food and shelter, is to connect with other people in a positive way. In turn, by taking care of yourself and your own well-being, you are able to turn more attention outward to feel more connected.
4. Practice Having Compassion for Others. Being compassionate to others increases your well-being tremendously, as many of us have experienced when we perform little acts of kindness. When we feel compassion, our heart rate goes down and our parasympathetic nervous system is more activated. Kindness and compassion can also help protect us from adversity.

Cultivating calm isn’t about avoiding every kind of stressful emotion. In fact, when we make time to breathe, connect, and care, some of the negative feelings we’ve been running from might catch up with us. But that’s the time for self-compassion; it’s okay to feel bad. Resilience doesn’t mean that we’ll be happy all the time, but it does mean we have the energy, the mindset, and the support from others to help us weather the storm.

Read more here: Four Ways to Calm Your Mind in Stressful Times

~ from The Brain Booth Team

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