The Art Of Being Composed: 9 Simple Habits Of Naturally Composed People

They don't let chaos rattle their core.

Written on Oct 18, 2025

Composed person. Alex Avalos | Unsplash
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I used to be the human equivalent of a caffeinated chihuahua. Twitchy, reactive, and constantly vibrating at frequencies that could power small appliances.

Then I started studying the most naturally composed people I knew, and noticed they weren’t doing what I expected. They weren’t necessarily meditating for hours or chanting mantras.

They had these tiny, almost imperceptible habits that kept them centred whilst the rest of us were losing our minds over trivial nonsense. Here’s what I discovered, and what transformed my own sanity:

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Here are 9 simple habits of naturally composed people:

1. They move like they’ve got nowhere urgent to be

Composed people don’t rush around like manic hamsters looking for their next fix. They walk more slowly. They talk slower. They even reach for their coffee more slowly.

Even if they have to do this consciously to start. They’ve figured out that when you move like you’re being chased by imaginary deadlines, your nervous system thinks you actually are.

RELATED: The Art Of Inner Peace: 6 Simple Habits Of Authentically Joyful People

2. They’ve declared war on blood sugar spikes

woman who is naturally composed as she declares war on blood sugar spikes ME Image / Shutterstock

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That afternoon crash after your sandwich and crisps is not just tiredness. It’s your insulin getting stroppy.

Composed people avoid high-glycemic foods. No more energy drinks, sugary snacks, or bread-heavy meals, especially before anything important. They eat protein and low-carb foods when they need their brains to function properly and maintain stable, composed energy throughout the day.

By learning to associate mood changes with blood sugar fluctuations, a person can reframe their emotional state. One study suggested that this ability to label and understand the root cause of an emotion can reduce a person's visceral reaction to it, leading to a more composed response.

3. They don’t take life so darn seriously

Most people treat every minor inconvenience like it’s a personal attack from the Sun gods. Composed people have mastered the art of not giving two cruds about things that really don’t matter.

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If your train gets delayed, you win when you shrug with a smile. If someone’s a bit rude? Stop caring so much. We’re all going to die. Big whoop. Composed people save their emotional energy for things that actually deserve it.

RELATED: If You've Perfected These 11 Habits, Psychology Says You're More Resilient Than Most People

4. They stop making everything about them

This is huge. Anxious people think everyone’s watching, judging, and plotting against them. Composed people have realised that most people are too busy worrying about their own problems to spend much time thinking about you.

A 2020 study explained that a key component of this process is decentering, which describes the ability to observe one's thoughts and feelings without being consumed by them. A focus on others' needs, instead of your own discomfort, allows for more effective and composed responses.

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5. They focus obsessively on what they can control

Whilst everyone else is having meltdowns about the weather, politics, or what their ex is doing on Instagram, composed people have developed laser focus on their own actions.

Stress drops in a big way when you realise that most things you perceive to be causing it don’t need to concern you. Focus on what you can do right in front of you.

6. They’re masters at calming other people down

When you make others feel calm, you make yourself calm too. It’s a positive loop. Wizards of composure speak more slowly in tense situations. They don’t match the frantic energy of other people. They become the eye of the storm rather than another swirling bit of chaos.

This can be viewed as a kind of strategic emotional management. Redirect your attention from self to composing others. You will be the most composed in the room.

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The positive, reassuring language you use to compose someone else can be adopted into your own internal monologue. Research on self-talk shows that this can mitigate the impact of negative emotions and foster personal resilience. The act of guiding another's emotions can create a positive feedback loop.

RELATED: The Art Of Being Hopeful: 18 Habits Of Naturally Hopeful People

7. They treat their energy like a finite resource

woman who is naturally composed as she treats energy like finite resource Rido / Shutterstock

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Composed people protect their energy levels. They don’t say yes to every social event, don’t absorb everyone’s emotional drama, and don’t let energy vampires drain them dry. They’ve learned that being constantly available to everyone is a fast track to feeling continually overwhelmed.

Recognizing that mental energy is finite incentivizes a focus on recovery and restoration, one study found. Strategies like taking breaks, prioritizing quality sleep, and engaging in rejuvenating activities are crucial for replenishing reserves before they are exhausted.

8. They’ve embraced the power of slow breathing

Before you roll your eyes, this isn’t woo-woo nonsense. Composed people breathe slower and shallower, not deeper.

When stressed people start huffing and puffing like they’re about to blow down houses, composed people slow their breathing rate down instead of trying to breathe ‘deeper.’ It’s like hitting a reset button for your nervous system.

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9. They don’t fight reality

This is the big one. Composed people have made peace with the fact that life is messy, unpredictable, and often unfair. They do what’s known by military jarheads as ‘embracing the suck.’

Instead of wasting energy being outraged by things that are completely normal parts of human existence, they adapt and move forward.

Fighting the often frustrating realities of life is like arguing with gravity: exhausting and pointless. Once you start doing these tiny things consistently, you’ll wonder why you spent so many years volunteering to be stressed about everything. Choose the other way.

RELATED: The Art Of Inner Peace: 6 Simple Habits Of Authentically Joyful People

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Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient. He's the author of the Mastery Den newsletter, which helps people triple their productivity.

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