The world has often felt chaotic to me from a young age. Many would argue I’m wired to be anxious. It runs in my family. Through the years and decades of this anxiety that has ebbed and flowed, I’ve compiled a variety of tools through various professionals that help me to decompress when the world feels too heavy. And I would argue, I’m still learning new tools as my coping process is far from perfect.
Music has always been one of the primary ways I cope with hard feelings. From a young age, it was what I was drawn too. I started playing piano at the age of 7 and singing at 5. Both of these hobbies have provided a much needed haven for when the world felt scary. Songs provided messages about the world in ways that I could relate to. Piano allowed me to go to a different place in my mind and my body and play out whatever was feeling heavy.
Friends are another resource I’ve relied heavily on when life gets tough. I’m lucky enough to have a circle of people who will listen when I need to vent and make me feel seen and heard. They have been my shoulder to cry on and so much more. I honestly don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have the friends I’ve made through the past 3 decades of my life.
Finally, yoga and meditation are sacred tools I’ve gained over the most recent decade of my life. Yoga has taught me a variety of lessons and when life gets hard. The ones I always come back to are listening to my body and beginning again. The practice of yoga allows me to tune into my body, and go to a place that feels safer than my mind and the external world. The breath work of the yoga practice, along with the active meditation, also allows me some space from the weight of my active mind.