what are some ways you calm yourself?

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Is there anything that you have done since you were young to calm yourself?

I have always had to rub satin between my fingers. Not my fingertips but right where the finger and hand join. I have done this since I was a baby. Something about it being cold and soft. Even if I am in a store and say a shirt has satin on it,I cant walk by it without rubbing it through my fingers.

Lying in bed with the lights out but a lava lamp on with some calming music does it for me. I discovered this in my early teens and it always works for me. Or reading a book while listening to calming music again.

Having a friend brush my hair or give me a massage. Reading a book. Lying on my bed in the sun.

When I was a kid, I would sit on the air conditioning fan outside my house. It blew warm air and was loud, so I would sing and thought no one could hear me. Now I use a hair dryer for the same effect, almost all the time. It's usually on when I am on the computer.....

If I'm in a chair that rocks (like my office chair at work), I will rock - while staring at the ceiling.

Otherwise, I use music - either playing my marimba, or listening to my favorite tunes.

Regulating my breathing....it's hard to feel panicky if you're breathing strongly and slowly.

Otherwise, I try to keep myself fairly isolated from interference by others, and to avoid getting involved with anything that's likely to make my life feel risky - e.g. I don't borrow money because I don't want to find myself unable to pay it back. If a situation looks like it'll be stressful, I'll try to find a way of avoiding it.

I think performing music helps me to squeeze out a lot of tension - I go through an anxiety stage before I perform, then after I'm done, I'll feel quite shaken for a while, then I'm calm for maybe a day or two.

Physical exercise. It seems to work off the adrenaline.

Keeping my mind off scary notions - I try to redirect it onto more positive stuff.

when i am very stressed (like when someone (including an animal that i know) dies), i take my mercedes to "eastern creek" raceway and drive at insane speeds around the track.
when i am finished, i am calm because i have spent much energy in keeping myself alive during my laps, and it exhausts me of concern for other things that overwhelmed me earlier.

pressure does it for me

I listen to music, squeeze my stress ball, or pet the kitty. Or do all at once! It's very relaxing.

I listen to a good song over and over again.

I'll pick a favorite song to listen to on repeat and sit/rock in my gaming chair or sit/lay on my big exercise ball. Or I'll go for a drive and listen to a song on repeat.

When I was a child I liked to set up a tent and lay down in it while savoring the warm glow inside from the sunlight. I loved to do that and watch for my dog (Cindy) to come peeking in at me through the window. That was so calming---especially when there was a gentle summer breeze.

I also liked to walk specific patterns around our yard over and over again. That was calming.

I have always liked to listen to music and daydream with it.

One thing I like to do now as an adult when I am feeling anxiety, etc. is to go to the quiet of my bedroom and work on my novel on the computer. If I am not in the mood to work on it, I might play Flipwords or Solitaire on the computer instead.

And playing musical instruments is also calming for me or studying house plans or other interests.

Pacing.

If I can do it a walk in the woods always does it for me. Something about the quiet and thinking about the rhythmic cycle of nature makes my problems seem small in the larger scheme of things.

Cooking. Gathering the ingredients, and following the step by step instructions seems to help me focus and calm down.

I listen to punk rock. When I was much younger I used to slam dance to it as well but in middle age that is no longer an option. Slamming myself into random strangers in a mosh pit was very de-stressing. These days I just put on Minor Threat or Black Flag and try to find fix-it projects that will require me to use a hammer or maybe even a crowbar.