Mindfulness – a way of maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. Self-soothing techniques help you calm and relax when you are feeling overwhelmed both physically and emotionally. They help you to “regulate” so that you can feel like yourself again. There are several self-soothe techniques you can try to stay calm and grounded using your senses, but for today’s feature, we’re focusing on your sense of taste. Keep reading to find out about different taste techniques you can use to self-soothe!

Water

Yes, as cliché as it sounds – water is the best technique anyone can use to self-soothe as well as regulate bodily functions. While staying hydrated may not get rid of anxiety entirely, it can help reduce its intensity.

Tea

Ritualized relaxation is one of the many benefits of tea. The type of tea you choose to brew can also help to soothe stress and anxiety. One of the key reasons tea is so beneficial for your health is due to L-Theanine, an amino acid that helps to balance mood.

Chocolate

New evidence is in that eating dark chocolate every day can reduce stress. Studies show that people who rated themselves highly stressed, to begin with, had lower levels of stress hormones after eating chocolate every day for two weeks.

Comfort Food

There doesn’t always have to be a science behind it – if having a not-so-healthy meal helps you feel better, there is no shame in it! Order that burger and fries, drink that milkshake, and just treat yourself!