• to brace oneself up, to buck up, to collect oneself, to compose oneself, to gather oneself together, to get well, to gird up one's loins, to nerve oneself, to pick oneself up, to pick up, to play the man, to pull oneself together, to pull up one's socks, to recover oneself, to recuperate, to rouse oneself, to steel one's heart, to steel oneself