Your Happiest You. Judy Woodburn

might

      be able to keep any mental

      blizzards from happening.

      The truth is, that’s just

      not possible.

      Some days stir

      up irritation,

      impatience,

      or uncertainty.

      Other days

      bring more

      intense

      feelings

      like sadness,

      anxiety, or

      anger. One

      thing’s guaran-

      teed, though:

      Every girl gets

      shaken up by

      something.

      Storm Warnings

      Do everyday troubles shake you up a little or a lot?

      Give each situation your personal storm rating.

      1. Your dolphin jigsaw puzzle has 1,001 pieces

      in 1,000 shades of gray. It took you three weeks

      to put it together . . . and it’s taken your

      little sister three seconds to fling it apart.

      a. major blizzard

      b. a few flurries

      c. clear skies

      2. Mr. Yao, Mr. Bitterburst, and Ms. Leinhosen

      must be conspiring. How else could you have

      a science test, a book report, and a history

      project due on the same day—again?

      a. major blizzard

      b. a few flurries

      c. clear skies

      3. Aisha’s mom thinks bronzer and colored lip

      balm don’t count as makeup. Your mom says

      they do, and there’s no way you’re wearing

      them to school.

      a. major blizzard

      b. a few flurries

      c. clear skies

      4. Yesterday you got up the courage to

      tell Camrelle that you kind of like A.J.

      Today A.J. told Camrelle that he kind

      of likes Mimi.

      a. major blizzard

      b. a few flurries

      c. clear skies

      5. Your parents can’t agree on where

      you’re spending Thanksgiving—Mom’s house

      or Dad’s. You’re starting to feel like a wish-

      bone about to be tugged in two.

      a. major blizzard

      b. a few flurries

      c. clear skies

      6. No. That strip of toilet paper has not

      been hanging from the waistband of

      your jeans for the entire last hour.

      a. major blizzard

      b. a few flurries

      c. clear skies

      Answers

      Did you have lots of a’s or b’s?

      You’re hardly alone. What rattles

      you may be completely different

      from what rattles a friend, but

      every girl runs into rough weath-

      er and needs a few ways to help

      the storms inside her settle. How

      can you do that? It all begins

      with your breath.

      Catching Your Breath

      What’s your breathing like, right this second? If you’re curled up in a chair and

      feeling relaxed, your breaths are probably slow and gentle. Next time you’re

      mad—really mad!—or watching a scary part in a movie, or riding a roller

      coaster as it’s chugging up the tallest hill of the track, you might notice that

      something’s different. Your breathing may be faster. Or maybe, without

      even having decided to . . .

      This happens because the way we breathe helps our bodies and brains

      respond to whatever’s going on around or inside us. When you’re excited,

      mad, or scared, you tend to suck in air and breathe faster, which charges

      up your nervous system. This revving up can be super-useful—if you need

      to run a race or dash away from a situation.

      Of course, the things that most often stir up a girl’s day—drama with friends,

      an unfinished book report, or a disagreement with parents—aren’t things

      she can physically run from. She can’t just get rid of the uncomfortable

      feelings that come up in these situations, either.

      So what’s a girl to do? It really helps if you can find a way to stop fighting the

      swirling thoughts and feelings and simply let them settle, like flakes in a snow

      globe. When you’re able to do that, you can see your way clear to deal with

      the problem.

      Luckily, your breath can help here, too.

      Breathing Easy

      Start by noticing what happens when you breathe. You don’t need to make

      your breaths deeper or longer, or change them at all. Just see how your

      breathing feels. Are your breaths slow or fast? Do you feel your chest or belly

      expand when you breathe in? Does the air feel cool as it passes through your

      nose or mouth?

      These are things we don’t usually notice. But here’s an amazing fact: Simply

      tuning in to your breathing can help you start to feel less jangled.

      You can settle yourself even more by doing this simple breathing exercise:

      Try this a few more times. You may start to notice that your breath wants to

      take a little pause just after you’ve exhaled. If so, let yourself enjoy this tiny

      moment of quiet and calm before you breathe in again.

      By paying attention to your breath, and by breathing deeply and slowly, you

      are helping to trigger a different part of your nervous system—the part that

      loosens you up and calms you down.