Self-soothing.
Many of us have never learned how to self-soothe.
Things that make us feel better,
Calmer,
Give us a sense of relaxation or pleasure.
We can use these things in times where we feel distressed,
When emotions feel overwhelming,
When situations feel like you can't stand them anymore.
Instead of avoidance or something that causes additional suffering,
We may experiment or try some of these things that give a sense of pleasure,
Comfort or nourishment.
Self-soothing has to do with comforting,
Nurturing and being kind to yourself.
And one of the best ways of doing this is through the five senses – vision,
Hearing,
Smell,
Taste and touch.
Sometimes we can have thoughts about this.
It might feel difficult for us to give pleasure to ourselves in this way or to engage in some of these nourishing activities.
There might be some barriers,
You might feel guilty or it might take some practice.
Therefore it's important to be patient and kind to yourself,
Learning coping strategies that you can do on your own,
Focused on improving your mood.
And so during this CD I will provide some relaxations but also exploring other methods,
Other strategies for soothing or nurturing yourself,
Which might include touch,
For instance.
Soaking in a warm bath,
Getting a massage,
Relaxation,
Stretching,
Wearing some comfortable clothes or playing with an animal.
Taste,
It might be eating a comforting meal,
Sipping some herbal tea,
Eating some healthy food.
Smell,
Shopping for flowers,
Smelling lavender or vanilla,
The scent of a candle,
Deeply breathing in some fresh air.
Sight,
It might be seeing a funny movie or watching a funny television show,
Reading a good book,
Looking at cherished pictures,
Maybe of loved ones,
Looking at pictures of past vacations or places,
Watching the clouds arise,
Develop and drift away in the sky.
And like clouds,
Noticing that sometimes our thoughts and emotions can change,
Can be here one moment in awareness and drift away like a cloud the next.
Sound,
Listening to relaxing music,
Singing to yourself,
Playing a musical instrument.
So these are just some suggestions and each person will have their own things that they find pleasurable,
Soothing or nurturing and I implore you to experiment with this.
And when engaging in these strategies make sure to focus completely on the task at hand.
Be mindful of your senses,
Of what you're experiencing.
And of course from time to time we might get a bit distracted,
Other things might compete for our attention and that's natural to be expected indeed.
As best you can just coming back to the task at hand,
Back to what you're doing.
So perhaps it might be useful to grab a blank piece of paper and a pencil and under the headings touch,
Taste,
Smell,
Sight and sound.
Thinking of as many things that you personally find,
Soothing,
Calming,
Relaxing,
Nurturing or pleasant,
Pleasurable.
And implementing these from time to time when you feel distressed,
Overwhelmed by thoughts or emotions or if the body feels tense,
Wound up.
These can be part of your toolbox,
Self-soothing strategies.
