How to stay calm?

[nsquared]

Well, I am excited that I had my 2nd LD in 3 weeks, but my problem is that I just get to damned excited. The one last night probably lasted 10 seconds. I did MILD after staying up for 40 minutes, and a few seconds into my dream I knew I was dreaming. I pinched my nose to breath thru it, and I did. Everything was vivid for a few seconds - it then faded to black and then I woke up. Any tips on how to stay calm and stay asleep? I think next I'll try to work it into my mnemonics. The one I was using last night was "I am dreaming." Perhaps I should add "and I am calm!"

[Silpheed]

One thing I can suggest is that when I end up staying calm, it's because I have a healthy fear and respect for dreams. I believe they can mess a person up. Know that when you realize a dream is a dream, is that you are now an explorer in your own mind, not a god. I think... hm, humble yourself might be the best term, to stay calm.

[docKnubis]

for me. my first ones i got excited and woke up but after a while i got used to the fact "hey im dreaming" so just stick with it and soon it will be easy.

[Death-Wuad]

Exactly. When I first started having ld's, I would think to myself "Oh my god, I'm dreaming! This unbelievable, it feels so real. God praise whoever discovered lucid dreams in the first palce!". Nowadays, I'm like "Eh... I'm gonna shove that DC up my ass and see how long it takes for him to stop squirming... C'mere!"

[Stevehattan]

I don't have a lot of experience, but the first time I did a RC in my dream I woke up immediately because I got excited. That disappointed me somewhat, so when I recited the usual "I will wake up after every dream blah blah" before I went to sleep, I would also include "I will stay calm if I become lucid". Well, the next time I RC'd in a dream, I didn't wake up (I lost lucidity soon afterward, but that's a different story).