Work can be way too stressful sometimes, right? Even in the perfect job, there will be stressful times. It’s important to develop strategies to cope with stress. Stress isn’t healthy for your mental health and it’s hard to stay productive. Instead of relying on others to comfort you and take care of you, for work purposes, the best way to feel better is to self soothe. Self soothing can help you manage stress, lower your anxiety levels and make the day more tolerable.
Self soothe by taking deep breaths and focus on your breathing for a few minutes.
Box breathing technique is one of the easiest to remember. Take a deep breathe in your nose for a count of 4. Hold the breath for a count of 4. Breathe out through your mouth for a count of 4. Hold the breath for a count of 4. Then repeat until you feel yourself calming down and regulating yourself.
Take a quick walk to self soothe yourself.
It should be easy to get up and take a quick walk. Make sure you keep a pair of comfy shoes near your desk so you have no excuse. A quick walk can help release tension.
I worked for someone who used to say to her staff, “I don’t pay you to take a walk.” So even if you feel like you aren’t supposed to leave your desk, use the excuse that you left something in your car or go to the bathroom – choose a far one if possible. This can be a leisurely stroll, not a full blown workout – remember this is just to self-soothe. Even just the change of scenery is beneficial.
Listen to music or sounds using headphones.
Have Spotify playlists all set to treat different moods you may possibly have. With this in mind, you may need to be calmed down, therefore have a playlist ready for that. Or you may be able to self soothe with alt rock or pop music or something from your teenage years.
Self soothe with meditation techniques.
You don’t need to chant at your desk or close your eyes for 20 minutes. You can use your senses in a meditative way.
- What are 5 things you can see?
- What are 4 things you can touch?
- What are 3 things you can hear?
- What are 2 things you can smell?
- What is one thing you can taste?
I see my Air Pod case, the rain falling outside my window, the picture on my wall calendar, the crumbs I didn’t clean up from lunch, the plant on my desk.
I can touch the softness of my sweater, the dryness of my elbow, the grips on my office chair, the coldness on the windowpane.
I can hear a dog barking outside, the hum of the fan on my laptop, people talking on the other side of the room.
I can smell the hand lotion I just used and the perfume I am wearing.
I can taste the lip balm on my lips
Toys help to self soothe
Use a fidget spinner or one of those pop-ems. One of my favorites is a sensory coily ring. They can snap kind of easily. I found them years ago at the wellness store of the Cleveland Clinic. At this time I can get them on Amazon. These rings are relatively inexpensive and easy to conceal. https://amzn.to/3E3fZY0. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
Tapping
Use tapping to move blocked negative energy. In the event you have nosy coworkers, you may want to go to the bathroom, that way you will be in private. In your mind, think of all the things that are bothering you and tap as you think of these things. Call people names in your head and swear and get those emotions moving. The negative feelings fade and at this point, you can tap in positive affirmations.
To sum up, don’t spend the day upset. Make sure to try these tactics to self soothe.
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