The Calm Tree-Your Path to Calm with the A.C.C.E.P.T.S. Method

How to calm down when overwhelmed?

One of my favorite tools is this:
→    Perspective

(Step 3 of the A.C.C.E.P.T.S. method — Comparison)
Let me tell you what I mean in 4 steps.

1.    First, I’ll be honest with you.
I don’t often feel overwhelmed.
Why?
Not because I’m a genius.
But because I work out every day.
Exercise helps me release any tension.
So I don’t need to calm down very often.
But if I do need to calm down, well, in that case…

2.    In that case, I use one of my favorite tools:
→    Perspective

I think perspective is one of the most underutilized tools out there.
And it’s free!
It’s amazing how perspective can immediately change our mood.
I’m starting to think that it’s faster than exercise.
To change your mood, you probably need 2-3 minutes of exercise.

But if you use perspective, you might need less than 30 seconds.

Now your question is:
→    “Okay, but what do you mean by ‘perspective’?”

3.    I mean this:

Every time I have a problem, I do this:
→    I compare my current situation to others’ more challenging ones.

For example, let’s say you have a problem at work.
Or a problem in your relationship.
And that problem makes you feel overwhelmed.
That problem is real, of course.
But 99% of the time, it’s nothing compared to what others face.
In my case, I compare my situation to:
→    People who have no food, water, or medicine
or
→    How my parents and grandparents lived their lives.

I’ve never faced a problem bigger than the ones they faced.
Fortunately.
So why be upset for hours or days about my “problem”?
I just put the situation in perspective.

Now your second question is:
→    “Okay, how do you make that work?”

4.    Here’s my answer:
→    By practicing gratitude

I wouldn’t be able to shift my perspective quickly without daily gratitude.
I don’t think the key is to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

The key is to move quickly from:
→    feeling “Overwhelmed”
to
→    feeling “Good”

That’s why gratitude is so special.
It helps us put everything in perspective — quickly!
So we spend less time in that spiral.

That’s why my daily gratitude habits include:
→    Looking at photos of my parents and grandparents and feeling thankful
→    Before I eat, I try to remind myself that some people have nothing

I say “try” because I’m known for eating way too fast
But when I remember, I take 10 seconds to think of those with nothing.
Perspective and gratitude are close friends.