If you ever have a hard time, um, calming yourself down, take a look at my Beliefnet gallery featured on the main page, “7 Quick Ways to Calm Down.”

It begins ….

I’m easily overwhelmed. When my kids’ exuberant screams reach a decibel level my ears can’t tolerate, when Chuck E., the life-size “rat” at the pizza place, starts doing his jig while flashing arcade lights blind me, or when I open my email to find 100 messages–I feel a meltdown coming on. Which is why I came up with seven quick ways to calm myself down. 

I turn to these when I don’t have time to call my mom and hear her tell me, “Everything is going to be fine.” They keep me centered and grounded for as long as possible, and they help me relax my body even during those times when screaming kids and dancing life-size rats converge.