Finding Calm

Helping Yourself in the Moment

When you begin to feel overwhelmed, the quickest way to regulate your body and return to the Green Zone — where calm, rational thinking is possible — is to gently focus on your breathing. Slow, steady breathing helps prevent your body from moving further into fight-or-flight (the Amber Zone).

Try This Simple Breathing Exercise

1) Breathe in slowly for a count of 4 or 5.

2) Hold for a count of 4 or 5.

3) Breathe out slowly for a count of 4 or 5.

Repeat a few times until you begin to feel calmer and more in control.

Keeping the exercise simple makes it easier for your body to respond.

You can also help yourself by bringing to mind something that gives you a sense of safety or comfort — perhaps a holiday you enjoyed, a special moment with someone close, or a time you felt relaxed and content. Gently focusing on these memories can soothe your nervous system and remind your brain that you are safe, even if your amygdala (the part of the brain responsible for our fear response) has briefly sounded the alarm.