Self-soothing

“There is no pain, you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb

Numbing yourself is one way of coping, yet on the other end of the spectrum is feeling very much alive through stimulating our senses. Much of this can be done on ourselves by ourselves in our own time, space and pace.

Sometimes we neglect or lose connection with our body or different parts of our body, but by focusing and soothing any one sense at a time, we can maintain a deep awareness and, hopefully, stop ourselves from losing our way in the world. Self-soothing is the art of safely expanding our sensory experiences. One example of this would be the application of a body lotion on a part of our skin that responds well to the cooling, calming, stroking action. If this method works for us, perhaps we could start incorporating it into a routine. Further examples of self-soothing are the use of light, colour, heat, motion, art, sounds, textures, smells or tastes.