How to Make Yourself Feel Better
Cry., Take a few minutes to breathe deeply., Start journaling., Turn to a creative hobby., Rely on your support system., Reward yourself., Take a break to laugh., Give yourself a timeout., Avoid turning to drugs or alcohol.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Take a few minutes to breathe deeply.
Emotional tears signal the body to release endorphins or “feel-good” hormones to promote a feeling of calm and well-being.Not only does crying allow your body to release stress hormones, but at the end of a good cry, the body assumes a calmer state with a lower heart and breathing rate.Engage in beneficial crying.
This is crying that allows you to release stress and bottled up emotions and does not interfere with your daily functioning.
If you seem to have no control over when or how often you cry or if your crying is interfering with your work or home life, this may be an indication of a larger problem, such as depression or an anxiety-related condition.
Consider seeing a counselor or therapist who can teach you techniques to control crying that’s interfering with your daily functioning. -
Step 2: Start journaling.
The simple action of taking full, deep breaths can help you start to feel better.
Deep breathing increases oxygen supply throughout the body, which can help to relax muscles and reduce your blood pressure when you’re upset or stressed.Deep breathing also helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which produces a calming affect.The very act of focusing on your breathing rather than the stressful situation at hand can begin helping you feel better.
Those who practice deep breathing for twenty to thirty minutes each day experience reduced levels of stress and anxiety., Writing down your emotions provides an emotional outlet, as well as a way to cognitively process the circumstances behind how you are feeling.
This adds an additional component of clarity to aid in decreasing emotional pain.In fact, studies have shown that writing offers benefits of emotional well-being, including relief of emotional distress.Additionally, journaling has been shown to benefit the immune system.If you are dealing with emotional pain that you do not feel comfortable sharing, writing or journaling about your experiences offers you an outlet without the added stress of being vulnerable with a friend or family member who may not understand., Creative expression has a long history and connection to emotion within many different cultures where music, dance, and stories have been used to express emotions to promote healing.Whether as an appreciator or creator, try turning to your favorite hobby to help channel your negative or painful emotions into something creative.
For example, research has shown that music is linked to decreased anxiety by decreasing neural activity in the amygdala, which produces a calming effect.Additionally, music was shown to produce feelings of greater control over one’s life, as well as decreased pain in persons with chronic illness.Visual arts—such as drawing, painting, making collages or cards, or textile work—have been shown to offer an opportunity to make meaning of emotional pain, as well as increase feelings of self-worth.Movement-based expression—such as dancing or acting—has been shown to increase self-awareness and improve body image, problem solving capacity, and self-esteem., Numerous studies have shown the benefits of having a close support system of family and friends to whom you can turn.Social support leads to a sense of belonging and security rather than loneliness while dealing with emotional pain, and it’s also been linked to an increased sense of self-worth.Try calling a trusted friend or sitting down with a family member to vent your hurt and frustrated emotions. , Times of emotional turmoil are also a great time to treat yourself to something special.
This can be anything in which you take enjoyment.
You can get a massage, go to an amusement park, buy some new shoes, prepare your favorite dessert, go see a movie, or anything else you love doing.
Take some time for yourself and treat yourself.
Remember to do so responsibly.
You don’t want to spend too much on a reward for yourself and lead to more emotional negativity later for budgeting poorly. , Laughter does everything from aiding muscle relaxation to helping alleviate your body’s stress response.Laughter has also been shown to help elevate your mood in moments of anxiety or depression.Take some time to laugh by remembering a funny situation, calling your funniest friend, or simply finding a funny video to watch on the internet.
Take advantage of whatever is at your disposal in the moment to take a break and laugh. , A five-minute walk or a chance to get up and stretch can help you release painful emotional energy.
Even if you’re not a big yoga practitioner, even basic stretching can help promote positive emotions.
Stretching practices have been shown to help with releasing negative energy related to stress, anxiety, depression, and more., While drugs and alcohol may temporarily have a calming affect when you feel stressed or painful emotions, experts agree that the short-term release is not even remotely worth the associated risks.
Exposure to stress and other traumatic emotions is one of the leading risk factors in the development of substance abuse problems.While all of the other steps in this LifeGuide Hub provide tools to help you overcome negative feelings, drugs and alcohol simply create a vicious cycle of dependence on the substance to feel better, which can quickly lead to addiction.Consult with a professional substance abuse counselor if you find yourself consistently turning to drugs and/or alcohol as a release from your painful emotions. -
Step 3: Turn to a creative hobby.
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Step 4: Rely on your support system.
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Step 5: Reward yourself.
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Step 6: Take a break to laugh.
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Step 7: Give yourself a timeout.
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Step 8: Avoid turning to drugs or alcohol.
Detailed Guide
Emotional tears signal the body to release endorphins or “feel-good” hormones to promote a feeling of calm and well-being.Not only does crying allow your body to release stress hormones, but at the end of a good cry, the body assumes a calmer state with a lower heart and breathing rate.Engage in beneficial crying.
This is crying that allows you to release stress and bottled up emotions and does not interfere with your daily functioning.
If you seem to have no control over when or how often you cry or if your crying is interfering with your work or home life, this may be an indication of a larger problem, such as depression or an anxiety-related condition.
Consider seeing a counselor or therapist who can teach you techniques to control crying that’s interfering with your daily functioning.
The simple action of taking full, deep breaths can help you start to feel better.
Deep breathing increases oxygen supply throughout the body, which can help to relax muscles and reduce your blood pressure when you’re upset or stressed.Deep breathing also helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which produces a calming affect.The very act of focusing on your breathing rather than the stressful situation at hand can begin helping you feel better.
Those who practice deep breathing for twenty to thirty minutes each day experience reduced levels of stress and anxiety., Writing down your emotions provides an emotional outlet, as well as a way to cognitively process the circumstances behind how you are feeling.
This adds an additional component of clarity to aid in decreasing emotional pain.In fact, studies have shown that writing offers benefits of emotional well-being, including relief of emotional distress.Additionally, journaling has been shown to benefit the immune system.If you are dealing with emotional pain that you do not feel comfortable sharing, writing or journaling about your experiences offers you an outlet without the added stress of being vulnerable with a friend or family member who may not understand., Creative expression has a long history and connection to emotion within many different cultures where music, dance, and stories have been used to express emotions to promote healing.Whether as an appreciator or creator, try turning to your favorite hobby to help channel your negative or painful emotions into something creative.
For example, research has shown that music is linked to decreased anxiety by decreasing neural activity in the amygdala, which produces a calming effect.Additionally, music was shown to produce feelings of greater control over one’s life, as well as decreased pain in persons with chronic illness.Visual arts—such as drawing, painting, making collages or cards, or textile work—have been shown to offer an opportunity to make meaning of emotional pain, as well as increase feelings of self-worth.Movement-based expression—such as dancing or acting—has been shown to increase self-awareness and improve body image, problem solving capacity, and self-esteem., Numerous studies have shown the benefits of having a close support system of family and friends to whom you can turn.Social support leads to a sense of belonging and security rather than loneliness while dealing with emotional pain, and it’s also been linked to an increased sense of self-worth.Try calling a trusted friend or sitting down with a family member to vent your hurt and frustrated emotions. , Times of emotional turmoil are also a great time to treat yourself to something special.
This can be anything in which you take enjoyment.
You can get a massage, go to an amusement park, buy some new shoes, prepare your favorite dessert, go see a movie, or anything else you love doing.
Take some time for yourself and treat yourself.
Remember to do so responsibly.
You don’t want to spend too much on a reward for yourself and lead to more emotional negativity later for budgeting poorly. , Laughter does everything from aiding muscle relaxation to helping alleviate your body’s stress response.Laughter has also been shown to help elevate your mood in moments of anxiety or depression.Take some time to laugh by remembering a funny situation, calling your funniest friend, or simply finding a funny video to watch on the internet.
Take advantage of whatever is at your disposal in the moment to take a break and laugh. , A five-minute walk or a chance to get up and stretch can help you release painful emotional energy.
Even if you’re not a big yoga practitioner, even basic stretching can help promote positive emotions.
Stretching practices have been shown to help with releasing negative energy related to stress, anxiety, depression, and more., While drugs and alcohol may temporarily have a calming affect when you feel stressed or painful emotions, experts agree that the short-term release is not even remotely worth the associated risks.
Exposure to stress and other traumatic emotions is one of the leading risk factors in the development of substance abuse problems.While all of the other steps in this LifeGuide Hub provide tools to help you overcome negative feelings, drugs and alcohol simply create a vicious cycle of dependence on the substance to feel better, which can quickly lead to addiction.Consult with a professional substance abuse counselor if you find yourself consistently turning to drugs and/or alcohol as a release from your painful emotions.
About the Author
Raymond Cox
Specializes in breaking down complex crafts topics into simple steps.
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