SIMPLE Ways to Step Back and Breathe!

This past week, I entered my third week of class out of five. As the tasks and deadlines approach, I cannot help but feel overwhelmed and anxious no matter how much progress has been made.

Growing up, I had a very difficult struggle with anxiety and my therapists over the years have taught me some wonderful techniques in calming nerves. Today I am going to share with you guys some great, quick and simple ways to step back and breathe. The world around us can be so suffocating at times that we must have moments in which we take time for both ourselves and our health.

Technique I: MEDITATION

I feel like meditation is something that a lot of people are not even open to trying. In reality, the action is not nearly as daunting as it seems. Start simple. Head over to a dark, quiet room. If your home life is hectic, a bathroom is a perfect place to be unbothered by anyone.

Set a timer on your phone for somewhere between one and five minutes. Sit with your legs crossed, good posture, and let your mind relax. Taking just a moment of silence like this can relax you in so many ways. Just breathe, and don’t think too hard about it.

Technique II: CREATE ART

Art therapy is arguably one of my favorite forms of therapy and self-care methods. Especially when I was younger, I would love to get lost in the plane of my work. Painting and drawing have always been some of my favorite activities to do in my pastime. Today, I love to take time to paint on the porch of my home. The activities on top of spending time outdoors allow me to hit pause on reality and focus only on myself and my needs.

If you're not a fan of the visual arts like myself, just create! Dance, write, build. Do something crafty with your hands!

Myself, Charlie, with the art I created in the 2016-2017 school year.

Technique III: LISTEN

Always listen to yourself and what your body is telling you. You may need a bath, music, to walk around, a sweet for your sweet tooth, etc. Help yourself by taking care of yourself. We are only given one life and one body, we have to treat them both as a temple.

Thank you for reading my FIFTH post! Until next time…

Charlie Sanderson