The following: How To Become a Calmer Person, is a guest post by Joi Bellis, a Psychology graduate and writer who is currently working on her Master’s degree. Read more about her below!

While each day holds great promise, it also brings a few stressors along with it. Work tension, financial issues, and family demands can have you feeling frustrated and annoyed rather early in the day. Now, for better or worse, this is part of life and there isn’t much you can do to keep these problems away forever.

What you can do, however, is to find strategies that will help you cope with these stressors better. By doing this, you will become a happier person who has a more positive outlook on life. What’s more, learning to effectively manage stress will significantly reduce your risk of developing health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease. So, without further ado, here are some of the techniques you can use to become a calmer person.

How To Become a Calmer Person

Image by Shayan USA via Flickr

Breathe More Effectively

Chances are, you have never actually given much thought to the way you breathe. After all, it comes so naturally. Well, the next time you feel yourself getting stressed out, one of the first things you should do is to control your breathing.

A great way to do this is by sitting down and placing one hand just below your ribs. Put your other hand on your chest. Now, breathe in deeply through your nose. As you do this, you should only feel your stomach move outwards – your chest shouldn’t rise at all. Then, exhale through pursed lips, pressing down your belly to push all of the air out. Repeat this exercise at least three times.

Now, getting your breathing under control will take some time to get used to. So, you will need to practice quite often to gain the full benefits of this exercise.

Conjure Up Calming Imagery

You may often have had people telling you to “go to your happy place”. Well, this is the gist of calming imagery. By visualizing relaxing and soothing scenes, you will be able to temporarily escape your physical, adverse environment. As such, you are creating a space where it is easier for you to calm down, especially when you are all riled up.

In most instances, conjuring up an image that feels calming is often the most comforting thing you can do. So, choose your favorite quiet place to go to. If you are unable to do this, though, nature is often the next best option. Think of a lush, green forest complete with a trickling stream. Or, imagine a beautiful seascape with the sounds of crashing waves accompanying the picture.

Get Enough Rest

Sometimes, you may be reacting negatively to certain situations because you are tired. You may have noticed yourself that after a night of tossing and turning, you are more likely to snap or handle situations poorly. This is because a lack of sleep can actually make it easier for you to develop a bad mood and continue to be in one.

This is why it is important to start regulating your sleep better and to get at least eight hours of shut-eye each night. As a result, you will find that you are better-equipped to handle undesirable situations, thus, lessening the chances of you getting stressed out.

Try Your Hand at Positive Self-Talk

You will already be aware of just how wonderful encouraging words can sound. The good news, though, is that you don’t have to wait to hear them from others – you can simply try positive self-talk yourself. By doing this, you will be able to re-shape the way you perceive a situation. This means that you can look at a negative situation and find a way to put a better spin on it.

The first step to positive self-talk is to stop those negative thoughts in their tracks. So, when you catch yourself thinking of something disparaging, blot it out immediately. After this, try repeating a helpful mantra to yourself. It can be as simple as listing out affirmative personality traits. For instance, try saying, “I am kind, hardworking, and loving”. Of course, it isn’t enough to just repeat these words – you need to actually believe them. For greater impact, look at your reflection in the mirror as you say these words to yourself.

In the beginning, these tactics may be a little difficult to manage and even seem like they don’t really help. However, if you stick with them, you are sure to reap the rewards soon enough. With time, you will find that you are a happier and calmer person.

Author Bio:

Joi Bellis is a Psychology graduate and writer who is currently working on her Master’s degree. Some of Joi’s work focuses on sleep and how it affects people’s health and mental state, and much of it can be found on The Sleep District. In her free time, she does yoga and explores the great outdoors.