6 Ways To Relieve Anxiety

As someone who has dealt with anxiety for years, I have tried many different means of calming and stress relievers. What works for some might not work for others, but there is no harm in trying. Today I thought I’d share a few hobbies and practices that have relieved stress for me.

1. Writing

You probably saw this one coming. Writing comes naturally for me. As someone who is very passionate and enjoys delving into my inner being, writing about my day, how I’m feeling, or writing about a vivid dream calms me down immensely. It is a therapeutic way for me to center myself.

2. Reading poetry

This can be reading in general. Personally though, I enjoy poetry or other creatives’ thoughts. Something about being able to think about where the words on a page are coming from is just so soothing to me. Shop one of my current reads here.

3. Making Friendship Bracelets

Recently I have rediscovered making friendship bracelets and it has been so calming, Lately, I’ve disliked sitting down and not doing something with my hands. If not typing, scrolling, painting, etc. I just feel like I’m not being as productive as I could be. So being able to do friendship bracelets at any time and anywhere is convenient to me. It gets me off electronics and gets my fingers moving.

4. Painting/Sketching

As a creative, I loved finger painting when I was little. Then I eventually moved up to acrylic paint and rediscovered my hobby in high school. For sketching, I was always doodling on my papers or zoning out in class and drawing in my sketchbook. While I am not the best at either one, one of my favorite ways to relieve stress is to sit on my bed, listening to Spotify, and creating some sort of art form.

5. Grounding

This is an exercise that I often use when I’m on the verge of an anxiety attack. Multiple ways of grounding tell you to focus on your breathing. But often times that just makes me more anxious. Am I breathing correctly? Why are my breathes so loud? Can people hear it? Personally I try to breathe through my nose and look for these things:

5 things you can see

4 colors you can see

3 things you can touch

2 things you can hear

1 thing you can smell These things make you aware of your surroundings and often are successful at calming people. You can get even more specific or customize your grounding exercise.

6. Sound Baths

A few months ago, I began having trouble falling asleep. I thought it was my sleep schedule but it turned out it was my anxiety keeping me awake at night. I had heard from a few meditation gurus about something called a Sound Bath. I looked it up and instantly fell in love with the calming sounds. After a while, I was finally able to relax and get to sleep. A Sound Bath is calming music made for relaxation or meditation purposes. Many sound bath musicians use rain noises, singing bowls, chimes, and rocks. You can find my favorite sound bath YouTube channel here.

If you have any remedies or hobbies that work for you, feel free to leave me a comment and share them. My challenge for you is to try one of the relievers above and let me know how it works for you. Until next time! ~ Nikki xx

#anxiety #lifestyle #howto #hobbies