5 Ways to Get Centered

1️⃣ Breathe in through your nose, hold it, and breathe out through your mouth. Ahhh 💨 This is a quick, simple, fast strategy to remember when you are feeling stressed, anxious, nervous, etc. Repeat this as many times as you need to to get yourself centered. 🧘‍♀️ Another way to do this is to block off one nostril, breathe in through the other nostril, switch to blocking off the other nostril, and then breathe out through that nostril. The alternate nostril breathing technique gets both sides of your brain talking and calms you down quickly.

2️⃣ Visualize yourself in a calmer state of mind. Visualize not only when you're in the midst of chaos, but also while you're in a relaxed state. Visualize yourself in your happy place, whatever that looks like for you. I know it can be hard for those of us who are constantly busy and have a hard time finding time for ourselves. Try to do this next time you are in the tub, walking from your car to the grocery store, or while making dinner.

3️⃣ Let go and trust your high power. Not everyone believes in a higher power. And that's perfectly okay! If you do, or if you don’t, realizing things are out of your control is a way to bring some calm to your storm. Having faith in something bigger than ourselves can help us find peace. Sometimes when we're feeling chaotic, it's because of internal feelings. We must learn to let go of control and recognize that chaos is part of our living process. So, remind yourself that chaos is sometimes about things falling into place, not falling apart.

4️⃣ Get outside and feel the sunshine on your skin! Sit in the grass and feel the Earth beneath your feet! ☀️ Studies show that your anxiety and depression levels decrease when you spend just 15 minutes outside. This is a great thing to do if you have kids also. Take them outside, sit in the grass, make sure your feet or your hands are touching the Earth. 🍃 So get your body grounded, get outside, make sure that you're getting fresh air every day.

5️⃣ If you have a pet, call them to you right now and give them a good pet. Did you feel that? That immediate boost of happiness when just touching your animal is so noticeable. Most pet owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with pets. Petting, hugging, or otherwise touching a loving animal can rapidly calm and soothe you when you’re stressed or anxious. It's a quick, fast way to help you get calm by taking a few minutes and petting an animal. 🐶