Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The Good Things in Life Make for Good Therapy

Margarita Therapy


While I was working today, I mentioned to a coworker that I was experiencing too much anxiety, and the coffee I was using to rev myself up was making it worse. I think I wondered aloud about some sort of something to relieve my anxiety.

And then, without a blink, my coworker, a nursing student, started listing alternative therapies that she was learning in school.

Music Therapy, she said
Or Yoga.
Acupuncture and Massage, she said, although those cost money.
I've been studying pet therapy, she said, and they use it in nursing homes and even prisons to reduce agression.
And then there's always Vodka Therapy, she said.

I think I love her.

Usually when I mention anxiety, people will immediately jump to pharmaceutical solutions, but I personally prefer non chemical cures.

So then, after talking to her about this, I started thinking about the other non traditional therapies that might help anxiety.

I definitely think I have been practicing art therapy. I'd thought it was only to deal with past issues and identity issues and so forth, but recently, I have definitely been feeling the calming and peace inducing effects of art.

Perhaps there's also water therapy. I mean, a nice bath or swim or dip in a hot tub can do wonders.

But let's think about other activities that can lessen stress and depression and sadness and all sorts of other negative emotions.

Nature therapy? A walk in the woods.
Or gardening therapy. Hands in the soil.
Laughter therapy. There's nothing like a really good laugh.
Dance therapy. Use your body, feel the music, express yourself.

And of course, the above pictured Margarita Therapy. Yumm.

What other kind of "therapies" can you think of to deal with the stresses of every day living in the twenty first century?

Thursday, June 10, 2010

A Happy List.

Screw it!

I have no picture. But I need to remember the joy. How about you?

Grab a pen and paper or a keyboard or a blog or a camera and record the things that are making you happy today.

Me?

  • Yummy steak wrap with mushrooms, avocado, cheese and green salsa.
  • Beer for lunch.
  • Kids lounging on the new couch.
  • A hummingbird outside the door which I didn't get to see but still.
  • Considering different shades of blue. Navy blue. Gray blue. Teal blue. Mediterranean Blue.
  • A little flowering plant on the stoop.
  • Sunny skies.
  • Green lawn.
  • Little girls with hair falling into their eyes because they won't let mama cut their hair.
  • Being within walking distance of town.
  • A place for my books.
  • An internet day.
  • Ordering new art supplies.
  • An antique dresser.
  • A man who loves me.
  • Being able to remember good things even when I don't feel like I can keep up.
  • The smell of chicken in the oven.

That's all the time I have for today.

Please play along. Documenting these happy things is a big step in living life with joy.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Enjoy The Falling Rain

Down Pour

Lately, I find myself anxious all the time.

Good things are happening, but for some reason, I am full of vibrating nervous energy, and it is really hard to enjoy the good things.

Because of this, I decided to sit down here, even though I don't know what I am going to say, and remind myself that joy is the reason.

JOY.

Exulting in the beauty and wildness and craziness and moments of grace that fill every day.

I don't want to cover all that stuff up with worry about whether things are going to work out or how I am going to manage this or that, or fears about success and failure, wondering if a tornado is going to hit tonight and blow us away from the foundations up.

How does that help us live well? How do all those overwhelming, vague fears help us experience the joy of living?

I'm going to take a lesson from my three year old daughter, who, when the skies opened up in torrents didn't complain that it wasn't sunny, but laughed and sang and reached her arms out to the falling rain.

EXCERCISE:
Spend a day (or an hour, or a week) reframing your experiences. When you are confronted with something that brings you anxiety, stop. Take a deep breath and realize the feelings of nervous energy. Shake yourself out and take a look around you. Instead of seeing what isn't there, what you have to do, what might go wrong, pay attention to all the things that are wonderful. The weather, your children, a smiling face, a good book, the sweetness of a soda... whatever is around that delights the senses and comforts the soul.

This can be very hard, sometimes. It is easy to fall back into negativity and anxiety. So when the negative emotions come back, do it again. Instead of feeling out of control when faced with a challenge, reframe the experience into a challenging game, an exciting adventure.

I'm going to try this myself. I'll report back on how it went.