Learning how to stay calm even when you are freaking out inside is a difficult thing to do. It takes a lot of mindset shifts and understanding to break free from your mental limitations and reach a point where you can stay calm despite the outside turmoil. In this blog, I am sharing 7 simple and proven methods that will help you do the same.
In 8th grade, my teacher asked me to give a speech in front of the entire school and our parents.
With huge excitement, I spent days creating a perfect speech. I practiced it many times to deliver a top-notch talk.
Then, the big day arrived. I eagerly walked up to the stage, took the mike, and looked out at the large audience before me.
That’s it. I started shivering, my words were cracking, my head began to spin, and I went all blank.
I completely forgot what I wanted to talk about in front of a tightly packed audience. Suddenly, everything there was just darkness. When I regained consciousness, I was in my school’s medical room.
The doctor said, “Dear, why are you stressed? You are such a good speaker. What happened suddenly?”
That’s when I realized that I was stressed. The large audience in front of me had freaked me out, and I completely lost my composure.
Over time, I have learned to overcome this fear and find my calm. In this blog, I am sharing 7 proven methods that will help you learn how to stay calm and composed in frightful situations.
How to Stay Calm Even When You’re Freaking Out Inside? 7 Proven Methods You Can Try
Have you ever experienced something like what I shared above?
If so, I have good news for you and my 8th-grade self. As a shy and introverted person, I worked hard for years to compose my freaking nerves.
I was tired of being that timid girl. I was determined to learn how to stay calm even when I felt like the situation was falling out of my control.
I’ve always admired people who know how to stay calm even when they have a heat wave of emotions inside.
Hence, I wanted to learn how can I implement this in my personality and my life.
This blog is going to be an end stop for anyone who blacks out in an intense scene. So grab a cup of coffee, find a reading nook, and get ready for the journey ahead.
How to Stay Calm When You’re Freaking Out?
It took me years to learn how to stay calm, even when I knew nothing was going right. I understood how my blood boiled and my heart thundered inside. But I finally learned how to conceal them behind a confident face.
Staying calm when things are getting intense isn’t easy. But you have to learn and master this skill to avoid falling into deep pits.
Here are 10 tips that can help you stay calm when you’re freaking out.
- Try ASMR
- Drink water
- Deep breathe
- Mental distraction
- Go for a quick run
- Chew Bubble Gum
- Vent out your feelings
- Engage in Physical Activity
- Admit that you are stressed
- Visualize a calm version of yourself
How to Stay Calm? 7 Proven Methods For You
Before we delve deeper into this, let’s address the most important aspect first. There are two types of anxiety or stress: everyday anxiety and anxiety disorder.
It’s crucial to diagnose which anxiety you have. Not everyone has enough education about the source of their stress.
Everyday anxiety is normal. It includes things like stressing about a presentation, feeling awkward in the community. Social gatherings.
It typically doesn’t need medication or therapy.
On the other hand, Anxiety disorders are a more serious issue. They involve symptoms like panic attacks, excessive sweating, and disturbing thoughts. These conditions need expert treatment.
While you are reading this piece relaxed, people around you or somewhere in the world might be dealing with stressful situations. They might feel like they are standing on the tip of a mountain.
Everyday stress is very common. Dealing with it has become easier due to the library of resources which is now widely available with the power of the internet.
Adding to this list of resources, here are 7 proven methods that will teach you how to stay calm even when you have a roller coaster of emotions running through your head and heart.
1. Practice Aromatherapy
Imagine being at home after a stressful day when you are freaking out, and you don’t know how to stay calm. It is when aromatherapy can come to your rescue.
Aromatherapy uses essential oils to induce relaxation and create a soothing environment. It is proposed as a promising way to reduce test anxiety among college students.
Aromatherapy is a complementary therapy practiced in many countries. To heal and calm stress and anxiety. It enhances concentration and cognitive functions.
Essential oils like lavender, mint, rosemary, rose, and lemon are commonly used in many households and contemporary medicines for relaxation.
Studies have shown that using lavender oil for massage and bathing can effectively reduce anxiety and neurological and psychological disorders. It helps with reduced restlessness, depression, and enhanced sleep quality.
2. Practice Breathing Techniques
If you need an immediate calming strategy and you’re unsure how to stay calm, try this. Close your eyes, and take a deep breath until your belly feels comfortable. Then slowly exhale it through your mouth.
This technique works effectively in stressful situations. It provides space to gather your thoughts and calm your nervous system.
Experts recommend incorporating this breathing technique into your daily routine for even better benefits.
While you take that long breath, visualize that the oxygen you inhale supplies peace and happiness from the universe. As you exhale, release all your anxiety, doubts, tension, and restlessness from your system.
During this process, place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Focus on the rhythm of your breath and how your hands rise and fall. Repeat this 3 to 5 times for instant calmness.
Another interesting study from Harvard shows how the rhythm of your breath can impact your emotions. When you deliberately slow down your breath, you promote relaxation that stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system, which helps in calming you down.
3. Practice Calming Techniques
When you incorporate calming strategies into your daily routine, it helps in balancing your hormones.
These calming techniques not only teach you how to stay calm, it also offer many additional benefits. These include improved heart rate, better blood flow to the major muscle, reduced impact of stress hormones, improved confidence, lower blood sugar level, improved digestion, and much more.
Here are 5 calming techniques you can begin practicing today:
- Yoga- A surefire remedy to reprogram your entire mind and body.
- Tai Chi- An ancient Chinese practice that helps in reducing blood sugar levels and improving heart rate.
- Deep Breath- Inhale deeply through your nose until your belly is filled with air, and slowly release it through your mouth.
- Meditation- Meditation is an age-old practice that directly impacts your mind and nervous system
- Body scan- One of my favorite techniques that I follow every night before bed. While lying down, slowly scan your body from head to toe, focusing on every part of your body and relaxing your muscles.
4. Drink Cold Water
Every time blood rushes up my face with anxiety, I immediately head to the washroom to splash cold water on my face. It instantly relaxes my facial muscles and nervous system.
In a 2008 study on hydrotherapy for depression and anxiety, it was found that a 2-3 minute cold water session helped participants reduce stress and tension.
When you’re uncertain about how to stay calm instantly, I highly recommend the following:
- Take an ice cube and gently rub it on your hands
- Wash your face with ice-cold water
- Soak your hands in ice-cold water
- Drink cold water
5. Go Out and Get Some Fresh Air
Nature can indeed be the best remedy. When you’re highly stressed and unsure about how to stay calm during tough times. Step outside and get some fresh air.
Spending time in a garden that has a lot of fresh flowers can be more beneficial.
It’s been proven that fresh air can help reduce anxiety and promote relaxation throughout your body.
Certain flowers, like roses, are especially good for your mental health, while flowers like lavender and jasmine are good for boosting your mood.
6. Practice Grounding Techniques
Our mind often gets clouded by a bad past, which can promote tension, restlessness, and anxiety. When you face a similar challenge to those that troubled you in the past, your mind may become overwhelmed with anxiety.
It is when grounding techniques help you to stay calm in your distressing situations.
When you find yourself trapped in a stressful situation, turning to physical and mental grounding techniques is your best relief.
Here are some grounding techniques that can help you calm down during stressful events:
- Visualize tasks
- Move your body
- Take a short walk
- Play with your pet
- Inhale relaxing scent
- Practice memory game
- Hold and feel anything that’s near you
- Imagine throwing bad past in the garbage
- Snuggle with something smooth and cozy
- Pay attention to the soothing sounds in your surroundings
7. Focus on Your Diet
The food you consume plays a vital role in either reducing or triggering your stress and anxiety. When you frequently experience stress and don’t know how to stay calm, it is important to pay attention to what you’re eating.
The food you ingest has a direct impact on your mental and physical health. It is crucial to remember that the food you consume can either be your ally or your enemy.
Your diet has a direct connection to your nervous system. It plays a key role in controlling all your emotions and stress levels.
Certain nutrients, such as magnesium, zinc, Omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotic-rich foods, are important. They are famous for their potential to reduce stress and anxiety. Here are some do’s and don’ts on how to stay calm using the food you eat.
Do’s:
- Increase your intake of herbal tea
- Indulge in dark chocolates, which are rich in antioxidants
- Consume whole vegetables, fruits, and grains to uplift your mood
- Enjoy warm milk before sleep for quality sleep and stress management
- Incorporate nuts and avocados in your daily diet in appropriate amounts.
Don’ts:
- Avoid Baked foods
- Limit red meat intake
- Stay away from deep-fried foods
- Limit the amount of caffeine and sugar intake
- Alcohol is a complete no-no for stress disorder
Include foods rich in Vitamin B. Completely avoid refined carbs and full-fat items.
How to Stay Calm When You’re Angry?
Anger is a common and important emotion. But when you are constantly angry, it is a matter of concern. Not only will people find you rude and unapproachable, but you might also end up with no friends or loved ones. It’s important to learn how to tame your temper.
Here are three ways to stay calm when you’re angry.
- Understand the genuine reason for your anger
- If you can’t control it, find an isolated place
- Remain silent when you can’t control your emotions
Conclusion
Stress is common in your fast-paced, modern lifestyle. The impact of technology, excessive screen time, and fast food slowly seep into your nerves. It messes with your hormones.
Yet, it is ultimately up to you whether you allow these outside factors to affect you, both physically and mentally.
Whenever you feel stress creeping in, take a moment to pause and focus on one task at a time. Don’t multitask and multi-focus, this can increase your anxiety.
With these effective and practical strategies, I hope you will find your ideal way of staying calm under extreme pressure.
