YOU CAN FIND HEALTHIER WAYS TO SELF-SOOTHE

As 2026 progresses, you might be taking stock of your mental and emotional health. If finding healthier ways to self-soothe made it onto your list of priorities, help is near. We've roped in therapeutic manager and occupational therapist at Netcare Akeso Montrose Manor, Marlene van den Berg, to shed some light.

- WORDS BY THOBEKA PHANYEKO

If you find it hard to regulate your nervous system and are wondering if it's possible to sit with uncomfortable emotions and still self-soothe, Marlene affirms that it's possible. From a clinical perspective, she explains that self-soothing and emotional regulation are related but distinct concepts within the DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) framework. “Self-soothing is often used as a lay term; clinically, it most closely aligns with distress tolerance and is also commonly referred to as soothing or grounding,” she explains. “Distress tolerance focuses on calming the nervous system in the moment, to reduce the surge of adrenaline, allowing an individual to access their coping skills.” In essence, it’s about settling the overwhelming physiological and emotional response to stress in the here and now, says Marlene. This is primarily a body- and nervous-system-based practice. “Emotional regulation, on the other hand, refers to the ability a person has to understand, manage and respond to emotions effectively once the nervous system is regulated. Both distress tolerance and emotional regulation are essential for good mental health.” Marlene van den Berg: The most helpful practices are often multisensory. Activities such as gardening, which incorporate movement, touch, smell and environmental stimulation, are excellent examples of multisensory regulation. Evidence also strongly supports movement, particularly grounded movement and large arm-overhead motions, such as yoga, tai chi or even gentle stretching. Mindfulness practices can be more complex, as they often focus on calming the mind rather than grounding the body. Regulation is most effective when the body receives the message that it is safe, that adrenaline is no longer needed, and that the nervous system can settle. For this reason, mindfulness practices combined with embodied experiences tend to be more effective. Examples include walking, walking a labyrinth, watercolour painting, doing a Sudoku, or qui