Self-Calming Skills

Psalm 32:7, “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.”

Emotions play a very important role in our lives. Part of life is being able to feel joy, sadness, anxiety, and excitement. The ability to feel plays a major role in our relationships with others, decision-making, etc.  At the same time, emotions can vary widely and are not always based on the truth. Our emotions can be a major barrier to coping effectively with stressors and fully grasping our self-worth in Christ. We must learn how to manage our emotions rather than letting them manage us. Below are tools that can help you better understand your emotions and know how to regulate them.

1. Rate the intensity of your emotions and physical sensations.
2. Use skills that help you cope through the emotions and sensations at that particular level.

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For Further Information:

Tension Levels – Red, Yellow, Green
This helpful tool can help you to identify and rate your level of emotional and physical tension so you can then take steps to effectively manage it.

Quick Self-Calming Video
This 5:01 video will guide you through a simple exercise to pace your breathing and to shift your emotions to be calmer and more positive.  For more information on this helpful tool, visit HeartMath. 

Deep Breathing Exercise Video  
This 6:31 video by David Carbonell, Ph.D. show viewers a step-by-step approach to deep breathing to reduce anxiety.

Grounding Exercises
This tool provides practical, in-the-moment steps to help you get re-grounded when you are anxious, panicky, or retriggered. [Therapist Aid]

Breathing and Relaxation Techniques 
This helpful guide gives practical breathing and relaxation skills. [Reid Wilson Ph.D.]

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Audio Meditations

Breathing Exercise
In this 4:55 audio, you will be guided thorough a simple breathing exercise that can help your body and your mind. [ACCFS]

Accepted Tenderness Prayer Meditation
In this 5:52 audio, you will be guided through a calming prayer meditation that will help you quiet your body and mind while you focus on God’s love for you, personally. [ACCFS]

Scriptural Truth Meditation on God’s Character
This 2:42 audio can help you to slow down and focus on the truths about who God is. This can be very helpful during times when life is stressful. [ACCFS]

Serenity Prayer Audio Meditation
This 14-minute audio walks through the Serenity Prayer “God grant me the seren­i­ty to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wis­dom to know the dif­fer­ence.” and can help you release things to God and increase your reliance on him. [ACCFS]

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Other Helpful Tools for Self-Calming

Exercise, Stress, and the Brain
In this 2:27 video, Dr. Paul Thompson talks about how brain imaging has revealed the positive effects of exercise on the brain as well as the detrimental effects of stress and cortisol on the brain. [NIBIB]

Truth Talk   Truth Talk Audio    
ACCFS Staff frequently recommend reading and/or listening to Truth Talk to help people identify negative self-talk and replace it with a godly, healthy alternative. It only takes a few minutes to read it or listen to the audio. Try it for a week or two and see if you notice a difference!

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