The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how major disruptions to our everyday lives can cause us to lose our cool. Being in lockdown, meeting friends and relatives, fearing for our own health or that of our children: stress was the result. But we can choose a different path, that of self-soothing.

When we control our feelings from within, we find a constructive dialog. This gives us the opportunity to be authentic without passing on our anger and fears unfiltered to those around us. At the same time, we avoid subliminal anger leading to turning away, which means the other person has no opportunity to respond.

First aid for stress

Lower your shoulders

Neck pain or headaches are a typical symptom of stress and are often caused by tense, raised shoulders. However, taking a few deep breaths and consciously dropping your shoulders has a calming effect.

Breathe

When we are stressed, we tend to breathe quickly and shallowly. Attention also helps here: close your eyes, consciously breathe out tension and calm down when you breathe in.

Another calming breathing technique is abdominal breathing: place one hand loosely on your stomach at navel level. As you inhale, the hand should move outwards as far as possible and as you exhale, pull your stomach in as far as possible. Repeat five times.

A third technique is the extended exhalation. This deepens and slows down your breathing, you breathe more freely; calm breathing leads to a better oxygen supply and thus to a state of calm. Exhale as deeply as possible and blow "fff" through your lips. In the last breathing phase, all the air should be exhaled from the abdomen. Repeat three times.

Place your hand on your forehead

If we place our hand on our forehead, our head becomes clearer and emotionally calmer. Why? The blood that shoots into the brain stem at the back of the head during stress is drawn back into the forehead.

Accept the situation

We have the choice of how we assess a situation. Incidentally, the Chinese character for crisis consists of two parts: one stands for danger, the other for opportunity. If we see situations as neutrally as possible and do not judge them, we can accept them more easily. It helps to say: "This is good - even if I don't yet know why." This relaxes us and only in a relaxed state can we find sensible solutions.

Stop the carousel of thoughts

If tormenting thoughts keep recurring or get stuck in your head, you should try to observe them, notice them and then let them drift away like clouds. We don't have to give them the power to make us anxious, sad or angry. It is also helpful to focus our attention with all our senses on the here and now. What sounds or smells are perceptible? How does the table feel? How does the tea taste?