My Favorite Things: Relaxation Edition!

I’m an anxious person by default.  It’s something I have struggled with for as long as I can remember and I’m sure I will continue to struggle with for the rest of my life.  Although it can be a burden at times, as I’ve grown up I have found it easier to manage.  With therapy, medications and just other life alterations, I have become someone who has anxiety not someone whose life is controlled by it.  I’m not a doctor but I thought I would share some of the everyday things I use to help with my anxiety. 

               The first thing is music.  I love music.  I love that there is a style of music for every mood.  When I am feeling particularly anxious I like to just turn my favorite artists and just listen to them.  I find once I am concentrating on the songs I am hearing, my stress tends to decrease.  If I am feeling particularly uneasy I tend to go for new age peaceful music.  The soft sometimes haunting sounds relax me.  Youtube is a great place to find music that is geared for aiding with tension and anxiety and it’s free.

               Another great way to ease anxiety is with meditation and self -hypnosis.  When I was younger I used to think meditation wasn’t for me.  My mind is constantly wandering, I never thought I would be able to quiet it enough to fully engage in the meditations. 

However, I was wrong.  There are so many meditations out there for beginners that deal with the overactive mind that I feel almost anyone could learn and benefit from meditation.  Again I am going to mention Youtube.  There are so many channels devoted to meditation and self- hypnosis.  Some of my favorites are by The Honest Guys, Thomas Hall, Jason Stephenson plus so many more.  I have a lot of videos on my favorites list from loads of different people.  If you just type in meditation you’ll find an endless list of videos.  The key is of course finding the right people that work with you.  Some people’s voices or styles just work better with you than others.  But that’s the great thing with so much out there, there is something for everyone.

               The third thing I want to talk about is Reiki Healing.  I know this is something not for everyone, however I feel it works for me.

  Reiki is a healing technique based on the principle that the therapist can channel healing energy into the patient.  A great source for Reiki information is ReikifromLourdes.com.  It is run by Lourdes LeBron and she is a Reiki Master.  She offers distance sessions as well as free Reiki on her Youtube channel.  I find her videos very helpful.  Other sources for reiki on Youtube are the channels Blended Insight and Divine White Light.  Since Reiki is energy, you can watch a session from a while back and still feel the results.  Lourdes has a great explanation on how distance Reiki works here.  Of course you can always go for an in person session, which I’m sure a quick search on the internet will bring up a practitioner local to you.

               I know these three things are not for everyone, but I hope maybe at least one of them can help someone with anxiety like they have helped me.  Again I am not a doctor so if you have anxiety that causes disruption to your daily life, I would recommend seeking treatment from a professional.