4 Little Known Ways To Compose Yourself in an Intense Emotional Breakdown
And regain self-control
Emotions — The biggest differentiator between humans and machines.
Emotions are the reason you experience life. They are the reason life is worth living. (You cannot even imagine what it would be like to not have feelings)
Humans have been programmed to enjoy positive emotions. They want to be happy, joyful, and peaceful.
But nobody wants to be sad.
Why?
Because they don’t know how to deal with being sad. They don’t know what it is to tackle lower emotional states without being mentally disrupted. Think about those times when you are crying and the tears won’t stop, no matter how hard you try.
From my experience, here’s how you can compose yourself in an intense emotional breakdown.
Take control of your breathing
Breath and emotions are interlinked. (Notice how your breathing changes as your feelings change)
Deep and slow breathing activates the body’s relaxation response by signaling to the brain there is no immediate threat. This reduces the intensity of emotions at play.
How to do it
- Deep and slow Breathing
- Small inhale followed by a big exhale
- Inhale twice quickly (in one breath), hold, and exhale slowly
All three are helpful, but the last one is a savior.
I am yet to find a simpler and more practical method than the two-breath inhalation. I have used it more than I can recall and it works every time.
It brings the heart rate down, assisting in emotional regulation.
Force yourself to smile
As the name says, you force yourself to smile.
You may think this is the last thing you would do when at the peak of an emotional breakdown.
When you are sinking in deep water, you try everything — doesn't matter what helps you get out
Last month, I was feeling emotionally low. It was one of those days when you want to keep crying for no reason at all.
I was working on my laptop and the tears wouldn’t stop flowing.
I did not want to cry so my conscious brain was devising ways to stop those tears. It was then I smiled for a while and voila! It helped.
How to do it
- Step 1: Smile ear to ear, as widely as you can
- Step 2: Hold it till your cheeks hurt
- Step 3: Say goodbye to tears
Practice Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR)
This one’s my favorite.
NSDR is a state of relaxation that does not involve actual sleep. It is a period of intentional rest, allowing the body and mind to recover and recharge. Thus, it also helps in managing stress.
When my dad was diagnosed with mouth cancer, I recall spending countless sleepless nights. No matter how hard I tried, the tears wouldn’t stop.
Sleep was nowhere in sight.
Even if I fell asleep, I would wake up in the middle of the night and cry, cry, and cry.
That was when a friend suggested trying out Yoga Nidra. I practiced a 20-minute guided meditation track and boy! it worked like a charm.
I followed the instructions and before I knew it, I slipped into a hypnotic trance. Sleep took over, and I was lost in a peaceful void of nothingness. The next morning, I woke up feeling calm and relaxed, something I hadn’t felt in years.
Please note NSDR is not limited to Yoga Nidra. There are many other forms. But, I find Yoga Nidra to best suit my needs.
How to do it
- Listen to any NSDR command and follow their instructions closely
- Practice regularly over time
The three techniques will help gain composure and restore your normal emotional levels.
But the game doesn't end here.
Understand your emotions
Once you get back to a normal state, understand your emotions.
Humans tend to suppress their emotions. But the more you suppress them, the stronger they become under the sheets of your fake happiness.
Instead, understand the message and feelings they are trying to convey to your body.
How to do it
- Step 1: Use the three techniques listed above to gain emotional composure
- Step 2: Analyze your triggers for those emotions
- Step 3: Ask yourself, what was it trying to make me feel?
- Step 4: Meditate/Journal/ Introspect to get the answer
- Step 5: Feel better for real
In Summary
Controlling your emotions can be tricky.
This is how you do it:
- Breath Control
- Forced Smile
- Non-Sleep Deep Rest
And lastly,
- Understand your emotions
I will leave you with one last tip for dealing with emotions:
Don’t fight them, feel them
Cheers!
Thank you for giving this a read! :)
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