Life can be unpredictable, and sometimes, it can be challenging to deal with its pace. Feeling stress or anxiety is normal. If you keep dealing with these problems for a really long time and ignore their effects, you can have a mental breakdown. You can end up feeling like things are out of your control, or you can struggle to find the balance again in your life.
However, you should remember that there are ways to re-centre your emotions and revamp your happy version. On this page, you will get to know how to cope with mental breakdowns and explore 15 practical ways to re-centre yourself.
1. Reframe Your Thoughts
It can be one of the most powerful tips for mental breakdowns to change negative thinking patterns and promote a positive outlook on life. If you choose your thoughts consciously, you will be able to shift your mindset. Observe them without getting involved.
Remember one thing—negative thoughts can dominate and hinder your well-being. So, discard these feelings and refuse to interact with them. This could lead you to a sense of affirmation and focus on solutions rather than dwelling on the problems.
2. Practise Mindful Breathing
While coping with a nervous breakdown, it is not easy to recover focus and control. In such situations, you can practise mindful breathing, which involves taking a step back from intense emotions and focusing on deep breathing to calm both mind and body.
According to Scott Dehorty, LCSW-C, from Delphi Behavioural Health, ‘breathing is the top and most efficient approach for swiftly reducing anger and anxiety’.
By doing so while paying attention to this sensation of the body, you can reduce feelings of anxiety and stress.
3. Take a Break
If you ever wonder how to cope up with mental breakdowns, it is essential to try this technique. Just step back from all your worries and take a calming break. Be with yourself for just 5 minutes and ignore the world around you for a while.
This small pause can help you break the cycle of tension and prevent you from getting bogged down. Remember to use these breaks as a tool to recharge and gain perspective, and ultimately return to facing challenges with renewed energy and determination.
4. Use Positive Self-Talk
During a nervous breakdown, unpleasant thoughts can consume your mind and make you feel powerless. However, positive affirmation and self-talk can combat this situation and build self-confidence.
‘I am strong and capable’, ‘I am worthy of love and respect’, and ‘I trust my ability to overcome these challenges’ are some examples of positive self-talk to better equip you while coping with mental breakdown.
5. Engage in physical activities
While walking, exercising or some other physical activity, your body releases the natural hormones that can make you feel better and help you stop feeling sad, worried, or stressed.
Exercise also provides a healthy outlet for any physical tension or anxiety you may be experiencing. Exercising or indulging in other physical activities every day can make you feel better emotionally and improve your overall mood.
6. Take Small Steps
Feeling overwhelmed can make you feel stuck sometimes or unable to move forward ahead in your life. Take a thoughtful look at your challenges and address them one by one until you get out of trouble.
Do not surpass your emotions; instead, allot specific time to manage and process them. By trying this technique, you will surely be able to get a sense of progress, self-esteem, and confidence.
7. Seek Support
Sometimes it becomes difficult to share your struggles with others. However, seeking support from someone can be a vital step towards healing and recovery.
When you talk to a supportive friend or therapist, you can gain a valuable perspective. They can understand and relate to your feelings. Also, they can give you advice and ideas to deal with problems in a positive way.
8. Take Out a Paper and Write
By putting your thoughts on paper, you can better understand your emotions and identify those patterns or triggering issues that may be contributing to your stress. This activity can help you process your emotions in a healthy way and shut them up from building up, preventing a nervous breakdown.
If you do it regularly, you will get self-awareness and feel progress in managing stress and improving mental health.
9. Express Your Emotions
Giving yourself permission to express your feelings will reveal many underlying issues you can work on by addressing them. Release tension or stress built up inside you. Do whatever you find suitable for this as long as you don’t hurt anyone. This will bring negative emotions to the surface and improve your emotional well-being.
Instead of bottling up your difficult emotions, acknowledge and express them, as keeping your emotions hidden can further lead to potential harm to your mental and physical health.
10. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without any judgement or distraction. Avoid revisiting old problems and stop getting involved in imaginary scenarios. Dwelling on past mistakes or worrying about future uncertainties can elevate stress and anxiety. Instead, focus on the present moment for meaningful action and achieve personal growth.
Practising mindfulness techniques such as meditation or deep breathing can help develop a present-centred mindset and reduce stress levels.
11. Prioritise and Organise
By breaking larger issues into smaller and more manageable tasks, you can prevent a nervous breakdown. So, do not get overwhelmed. Instead, you must focus on one issue at a time and bring clarity to your life.
Do not let other problems distract you while you are working on the selected ones. This approach can reduce your stress and improve productivity in addressing each problem individually.
12. Visualise a Peaceful State
By imagining yourself in a calm and peaceful state, you can re-centre yourself and gain control over emotions. Visualisation is a powerful approach that involves creating a mental image of a desired outcome without any limitations or barriers.
It allows you to connect with your desires constructively and takes you one step ahead towards achieving your goal. This strategy can help ease your mind and bring a sense of peace to your emotional state.
13. Focus on your power
Instead of feeling helpless, vulnerable, and overwhelmed by your emotions, you can use your challenges as an advantage. This change in perspective can give you the sense to control your emotions and empower you to take a suitable action.
Do not focus on dwelling on the things that you can’t change. Instead, work on the things that you can do to change the current situation. By thinking about your powers, you can acknowledge your potential and create a better future.
14. Remember That This Too Shall Pass
During an emotional breakdown, you should remember that things are never constant; they pass with the passing of time. Difficult emotions are temporary and will eventually subside. This may take time and effort, but you can manage it.
It is quite natural to feel overwhelmed. Having a sense of awareness about your emotions will empower you and give you the strength to endure it.
15. Affirm Your Strengths
The idea behind affirmation is not only to repeat positive statements but also to pay attention to your emotions. Whether you say it loudly or repeat it in your head, you will be able to shift your mindset and reinforce your strengths.
If you affirm your strengths, you will give yourself the mental support needed to face the challenges. Now relax and repeat:
‘My potential knows no bounds, and I can achieve anything’.
Repeat this and focus on your feelings. This will unwind your tangled emotions and introduce you to your inner power. Create personalised affirmations that suit your situation and repeat them to yourself.
Wrapping up
Experiencing a nervous breakdown is a common human thing. However, it is important to recognise them. By using some of the effective strategies, you can learn to navigate challenging situations and come out stronger on the other side.
If you are facing a mental breakdown, take a step back, calm down and take a deep breath. Also, try some of these ways to re-centre yourself. Remember that you have the power to find your inner peace and resilience; work on it and get hold of your emotions.
Tips for Emotional Breakdown FAQs:
How do you treat mental breakdown?
Self-care, positive thoughts, and lifestyle changes can help to treat mental breakdown.
How long does it take to recover from a mental breakdown?
The recovery time from a mental breakdown may vary for each individual. It can take from weeks to months or even longer time.
Do you ever fully recover from a breakdown?
Complete recovery from a breakdown is possible. However, it may take time, support, and some self-care for better mental health.
How do you treat a nervous breakdown naturally?
Natural treatment options for nervous breakdowns include exercise, meditation, deep breathing, getting enough sleep, and seeking support from loved ones.
