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Self-Soothing are various techniques to take care of yourself, and make yourself feel good in the face of a very difficult situation. This tool is fairly straightforward, though some people find it hard to do. The most common challenge is when we feel like we should be punished, it's a real stretch for us to do nice things for ourselves. In the end, though, punishment makes us feel guilty about something we can't change: the past. When we're in the midst of a painful situation, the most effective thing we can do is get in a state of mind, where we can fix, get through or accept the situation. Doing something nice and caring for yourself can help you get to wise-mind. Focus on achieving wise mind, and help yourself unlearn the self-blaming, self-punishment mindset.
When self-soothing, think of all your five sense, and try to make yourself feel better by stimulating them in pleasing ways. We can't always take care of all our sense, but depending on the situation, focus on as many as you're able. Here are some ideas, you'll have to figure out for yourself what works for you:  Vision — What do you find calming and enjoyable visually? Do nature scenes calm you down? Watching a fish tank, fireplace, the ocean or even the drying spinning clothes help you move to wise mind? How about looking at the clouds or stars in the sky? If you're in a lengthy crisis, you may be able to go to the ocean, a park or a wooded area and look at the scenery. If you're in the middle of an argument with someone, take a brief moment and look at the sky, look at the wind rustling the leaves on a try. Inside look at a nice picture on the wall, or if you're wearing some jewelry or clothing that you find pleasing, glance at them.
What are three things you enjoy looking at? |
