A collection of diverse and effective coping techniques that can reduce stress, improve mental and emotional well-being, and perhaps make you even more effective in achieving your individual goals. Check back every Monday morning for the newest skill of the week.

Erin Jacklin“This self-soothing exercise is adapted from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, a mindfulness based approach to managing overwhelming distress and emotions. These self soothing techniques show how we are capable of soothing ourselves in simple ways.” ~ Dr. Erin Jacklin

Self-Soothing Through The Five Senses (Part 1)

When life gets to be overwhelming, take a few minutes to gently care for yourself by focusing on your five senses. Explore the senses one-by-one or combine them to discover what feels best to you.

Vision: Take a walk outside somewhere you find pleasing and look around you noticing what you see in nature. Sit in a garden, visit an art museum, or watch snowflakes during a snowfall. Light a candle and watch the flame, or buy a flower and bring it home with you. Look at pictures of beautiful art or scenery in a book or on the computer. Watch a video of nature. Notice what you see and observe how you feel.

Hearing: Listen to beautiful or soothing music, or to the sounds of the ocean or nature sounds. Listen to a baby gurgling or a small animal. Sit by a waterfall. Listen to someone chopping wood. When you are listening, just notice what you are hearing, letting the sounds come and go.

 

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