Feeling overwhelmed? Expert shares 5 tips for creating an emotional safe space for yourself

When you are feeling emotionally drained, turn to your emotional safe space that you can create with these 5 techniques.

Once in a while, there are some days that feel too stimulating, with a lot going on. And all you wish to do is run away, pause, calm down, and breathe. In these moments, knowing how to be your own emotional safe space is essential, a place where you can calm down at your own pace, without any noise. While reaching out to a friend or family member is typically the first thought, the excessive questions they may ask can become a burden, as emotional exhaustion can sometimes make explanations feel too heavy to give. Here's where your company come in. 

When the world feels too loud, find it in yourself to calm yoursef. (Shutterstock)

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Tonmoy Sharma, Psychiatrist and Founder, Merlin Health, shared how creating your own emotional safe space can be a powerful and empowering form of self-care.

He said, “The journey to creating your own emotional sanctuary is not about retreating from the world forever. It’s about building a refuge within you, so when the world gets overwhelming, you know exactly where to go. Understanding what this means is the first step. An emotional safe space is not physical alone. It’s the mental and emotional environment you create where you’re allowed to feel freely without apology, without shame. It’s where your own voice becomes the most compassionate one in the room.”

Dr Tonmoy Sharma shared a detailed breakdown on how you can create your emotional space for yourself, step-by-step: 

1. Assert emotional boundaries

• Emotional space begins with boundaries.
• Sometimes, this means stepping back from people who drain your energy or diminish your emotions.
• For instance, that friend who constantly tells you you're overreacting. That relative who only calls to criticize? It's okay to limit those interactions. Protecting your mental peace isn’t selfish, it is survival.

2. Assert physical boundaries

• The physical environment also plays a role.
• Whether it’s a corner of your bedroom or a spot in your garden, your surroundings can soothe or stir you.
• Fill that space with things that calm you: soft lighting, a favourite scent, the book that feels like a hug. Make it yours, a place where the noise of the world fades, and your own presence is enough.

3. Journaling and affirmations

 

With the help of journaling, you can make a safe space for yourself.(Shutterstock)

• But even more important is the emotional climate you cultivate. Often, we wait for someone else to affirm us, to say, 'You're doing okay.' But what if you said it to yourself? Through journaling, you can pour out what weighs you down.
• A simple prompt like, ‘I feel this way because…’ can turn chaos into clarity. Let your pen be a witness to your truth, especially when no one else is around to hear it.
• Equally powerful is the way you talk to yourself. When mistakes happen or days feel too heavy, shift your inner dialogue. Instead of ‘I can’t handle this,’ try, ‘This is hard, but I’m showing up anyway.’ A voice of kindness doesn’t just feel better; it becomes the foundation of your safe space.

4. Grounding rituals to stop panic attacks

• Some people create ritual words like ‘reset’ or ‘time out’ that help them recenter. 
• When the mind spirals, grounding yourself through breathing, touch, or naming what you see and hear can bring you back to now. These small acts of mindfulness become anchors when everything else feels adrift.

5. Emotional first-aid kit

• Having a personal emotional first-aid kit, whether digital or physical, can offer comfort.
• Maybe it’s a playlist that lifts your spirits, or letters you’ve written to yourself for hard times. It could be a quote that reminds you that this, too, will pass. Whatever brings you calm, keep it close when you are in your emotional space. 

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.