How to Calm Your Mind from Anxiety and Grief

At Eterneva, we understand the importance of managing our mental health during hard times. We believe in asking questions and embracing techniques that help us process feelings and handle stress when we are struggling with what life throws at us.

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When we experience grief, disruption, and pain, these difficulties give us the opportunity to work on ourselves, talk with friends and family, engage in thoughtful practices, and build new routines and habits in the wake of those that have been forced to change.

Grief can be overwhelming. So can change. 

Here are a few techniques and tips we recommend to practice mindfulness and self-care during times of stress and sorrow. We hope you can use them to calm your mind, control your emotions, help yourself and others, and hold space for your feelings without letting them dictate your life.

9 Best Practices to Cultivate a Calm Mindset

The only thing any of us can control is our own mind, and what we do and how we do it can impact our mindset and our feelings. It’s like the old saying goes, “You get out what you put in.” If we pay attention to what we are putting into ourselves, we can get a better version of ourselves out. 

The language we use to talk to ourselves is crucial. It is what we believe. It is who we become. What we feed our brain matters––whether it is frightening news or a nice book by someone we admire. These things change our mindset and, as a result, how we show up in our lives for ourselves, those we love, and those we interact with.

Meditate in the morning

Meditation is hands down the best investment of your time every single day. Ten minutes in the morning can reset your mind and body and start your day with centeredness and calm. Our team highly recommends the Calm app or Deepak Chopra’s 21-day meditation program.

If paying for these programs is a concern, there are free resources on YouTube. Here is one such free resource, a morning meditation from Deepak Chopra:

https://youtu.be/3Eq1tetWUeM?si=s4HX1zieq6Kb23UG 

Gratitude journal

Gratitude is the great antidote to fear. It focuses your mind on what you have and all the positives this life brings––from both good and bad events. To strengthen this muscle, because gratitude is a muscle you must work out often, practice writing in a journal. Follow these daily prompts to get started:

• Three Things I Am Grateful For Today
• Three Things I Want to Accomplish Today

Practice Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness can encompass a variety of things, but it basically means intentionally focusing on the present moment without allowing your thoughts to interrupt the experience. 

Practicing mindfulness is an effective way to help combat anxiety and grief. It encourages emotional awareness, which can help you recognize and process the complex feelings that often come with the grieving process. By practicing mindfulness, you can stop the constant replay of distressing thoughts and relax yourself by calming the body's stress response.

Mindfulness also equips you with healthier coping mechanisms that allow you to confront and process emotions constructively instead of avoiding them. By staying present in your life, even amid loss, you can improve your overall well-being and find moments of joy, gratitude, and connection.

Affirmation and positive thinking

Using affirmations and making an effort to think positively are helpful ways to calm your mind when you are experiencing anxiety and grief. Self-affirming statements that promote a constructive and optimistic mindset can help you challenge and replace negative thought patterns.​​ 

Positive thinking encourages a shift in perspective, helping you focus on the good memories and love you shared with the departed, easing some of the emotional pain of the loss. By reducing negative thought patterns and stress and embracing healthy coping mechanisms, you can improve your emotional well-being during the grieving process. 

While they don't eliminate anxiety and sadness entirely, affirmations and positive thinking provide a valuable complement to other forms of support, helping you in your grief journey.

Establish a self-care routine

Establishing a self-care routine is crucial to maintaining your mental health during times of stress and anxiety. Routines offer structure, emotional support, and a focus on well-being during challenging times. Practices like meditation, journaling, and breathing exercises reduce stress, and working them into your normal routine will encourage the use of positive coping mechanisms. 

Self-care routines promote a balanced approach to navigating grief and anxiety. They offer a daily framework to follow, helping to alleviate the aimlessness we can feel when under pressure and allowing for moments of relief and joy. In essence, a self-care routine equips individuals with the tools and practices they need to effectively manage the emotional impact of grief and anxiety and adapt to life after loss.

Go for a walk

Going for walks can be great therapy for a number of life’s stressful events. It releases mood-enhancing endorphins, reduces stress, and promotes mindfulness and reflection. Walking in natural settings, engaging in social connections, and providing structure to your routine can all contribute to managing anxiety and providing a sense of renewal and emotional healing during the grieving process.

Have a genuine conversation with a loved one

Having a genuine conversation with a loved one can be a vital source of support when dealing with the grief that comes with losing someone close to you. Talking through your experience provides an emotional outlet and allows you to express your feelings and fears openly. It also allows you to rely on your social support network so you can feel heard, understood, and less isolated in your experience. 

These real conversations with people you care about and trust can provide practical guidance, a temporary distraction from the pain, and an opportunity to share memories with someone who understands you and what you’re going through. Ultimately, the companionship and empathy of a living loved one can give you emotional comfort and connection when dealing with your grief journey.

Listen to calming music

The power of music is one of the most transcendent and universal human experiences. Listening to calming music can have a significant influence on our thoughts and emotions and is a great way to address anxiety, stress, and grief. Music can help regulate and soothe the mind, shifting our thought patterns, providing comfort, and channeling our feelings through the powerful medium of sound. Music may evoke certain emotions, but it also provides a context to get ahold of them and try to make sense of their texture and energy. 

Scientifically, music can lower the production of stress hormones in the body, promoting relaxation and release from the physical and mental strain of these complex emotions. Calming music also fosters a connection between the mind and body, inducing relaxation by reducing heart rate and muscle tension.

Calming music also serves as an effective distraction and focus-shifting tool to help mitigate the seemingly relentless waves of grief. By regularly incorporating calming music into your routine, you can find moments of genuine peace during times of stress and anxiety.

Breathing techniques

Breathing techniques work by triggering the body's relaxation response. Focusing on breathwork and consciously centering your mind around something we normally do unconsciously gets you in touch with your body and the systems that are directly tied to what’s happening in our minds. Often, stress and anxiety manifest themselves in physical symptoms, such as rapid and shallow breathing, hyperventilation, or tightness in your chest. By working backward, controlling the physical symptoms and calming our body’s reactions, we can lower our stress hormones and relax our minds in the process.

In this way, breathing techniques can serve as a constructive coping mechanism, offering a healthy outlet for the expression and management of grief. By incorporating these techniques into your daily routine, you can effectively reduce anxiety, manage stress, and cope with emotional pain, giving yourself moments of calm and clarity during the overwhelming process of mourning the loss of a loved one.

Take Care of Yourself

Self-care is crucial when managing stress, anxiety, and grief. By tending to your physical, emotional, and psychological well-being, you equip yourself with a game plan for navigating life's most challenging moments. Whether it's through practices like mindfulness, engaging in calming activities, or seeking support from loved ones, self-care offers the tools and strategies to confront stress, ease anxiety, and cope with grief. 

Remember, self-care is not a selfish indulgence; it's a necessary act of self-compassion that empowers you to face life's trials with strength and grace. By honoring your own well-being, you honor the memory of those you've lost, and you give yourself the gift of healing and renewal.