It was a rainy day, you know pouring hard rainy day, while I was on my way to somewhere nice.. everything outside the car windows looked hazy and I love that sense of calm that rain brings to me. Ah, as I allowed myself to recline yet a trifle further into a posture of greater ease, I was led to contemplate how exceedingly paramount it is, in truth, to possess both a tranquil mind and a serene constitution.
So I want to share five things that actually work. They are practical and easy and makes you relax in a jiffy. I've tested them so many times and there's real research behind each.
A song for you all to listen ! 🎵🎶
1. Physically slow down
it's the simplest: slow your body down on purpose, and your mind follows. When you deliberately slow down your body, you will feel an instant calm. You will, you have my word !
Next time try to Slow your steps when you're walking. Slow your hands when you're eating, simply savour every bite. Slow your voice when you're talking to someone, you’ll calm yourself in doing that and other person too, remind yourself that life is not an emergency and simple things can enjoyable when you purposely slow down. The moment you slow one thing down deliberately, you feel the rest of you catch up.
2. Temporal distancing
This is the one of the most effective ways to deal if you feel unsettled. Ask yourself
will this matter tomorrow?
Will it matter in five months?
A year from now?
Ninety percent of the time, the honest answer is no. Tomorrow is a new day, and you will feel differently, you will be better because that's just how time works on us. Zooming out like this doesn't make the problem disappear, but it does shrink it back down to its actual size.
Humming
Humming is such a fun little way to feel the calm. The vibration of it , in your throat and your chest that shifts your whole state within a minute.
Hum your favourite song. Put on a humming track on YouTube. Chant "Om" if that's more your language. It doesn't matter what you hum, just that you do it out loud, with your own voice, and let the sound sit in you it. It's one of those things that feels almost silly until you notice how different you feel two minutes in.
Cold exposure
A cold shower or exposure to something cool will cool you down too. Some days though long hot water baths and the comfort of it works wonders too. But cold works differently. Even something as small as splashing cold water on my face, or holding a bit of ice against my skin for a few seconds, cuts through whatever spiral you are in and to interrupt the loop you were stuck in.
5. Seek out Awe
Look for something bigger than you. The sky , I must say the sky always looks different with its splash of hues and it’s always glorious to look at ! And how I can not mention the ocean and the vastness and sound of it. A building that makes you feel small in a good way. Anything with real scale to it, deliberately seeking a brief awe experience has been shown in Dacher Keltner’s research like at Berkeley to lower inflammatory markers and shift nervous system state, so awe works through a completely different psychological mechanism (shrinking the sense of self).
You’ll feel awe that works completely differently from relaxation. It's not about calming down so much as it is about shrinking your sense of self for a moment to remind you that you're one small part of something much larger. And somehow, that's exactly what makes the noise in your head go soft.
None of these five things require an app, a retreat, or a routine you'll abandon in two weeks. Slow down. Hum. Get cold. Zoom out in time. Look for something vast. Try one the next time your mind won't sit still; you might be surprised how fast it works.
Thanks for reading Mansi! This post is public so feel free to share it.
Thanks for reading,
THE SILK GAZETTE
Mansi Ranga
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