4 Ways to Stay Calm During the Hurricane
If you are anything like me you are somewhere in Florida anxiously waiting for news on the hurricane and its path. I got up this morning and tried to go about life as usual, but it just didn’t happen. I walked in to teach my yoga class this morning and the students were all a buzz talking about Irma. Its just not a normal day.
Fear is in the air. The stores are selling out of water and emergency supplies. The sky is dark with clouds and I can’t shake this uneasy feeling.
When we are confronted with a crisis situation, like a natural disaster, our body reacts by going into fight, flight or freeze mode. This causes our body to flood with adrenaline and stress hormones. These hormones are in place so that we have the ability to evade a life threatening situation. If you are in a life-threatening situation, you should act immediately. But if we are not, these hormones leave us feeling on edge. We become hyper aware. So, If you are feeling stressed, anxious, worried, and uneasy about the storm (or other disaster), here are a few techniques you can use to help your self-calm down
1. Breathe
- Close your eyes and notice how your body feels for a moment.
Take a big breath in through your nose.- Hold your breath in for about 2 seconds.
- Make a slow controlled exhalation through your nose.
- Allow your exhalation to be longer than your inhalation.
- Continue this process for several breaths.
- Notice how your body feel
- Slow controlled exhalations can help to calm the body down- Try it for yourself and see how it works
2. Become present with your environment
- Identify 5 things you see right now
- Identify 4 things that you feel right now
- Identify 3 things that you hear right now
- Identify 2 things that you smell right now
- Identify 1 thing that you taste right now
3. Review your safety plan
When you are starting to feel stressed or worried, going over your safety plan (or evacuation plan) can help calm the mind.
- Write your safety plan on a piece of paper. This can help you to see that you have steps in place for how to handle a real emergency.
- Talk it through with a friend or loved one. This can help with any areas that may need to be strengthened.
4. Take things one-step at a time
You have to take the first step first. Breaking things down into small steps can help you respond effectively during high stress periods. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What has to happen next?
- What small step can I take in this moment?
Sometimes taking a very small step forward can help break through the overwhelm.
STAY SAFE AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!