This summer I’ve had some time to reflect, relax and refresh. We all destress differently and no one way is better than another. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that my peace is valuable and comes above all else. I spent a lot of my twenties worrying about things that I really shouldn’t have been worrying about, but with age, I’ve learned to take time to listen to myself, recognize my emotions and how I’m feeling and navigate them in a healthy way. For those who are new to the CCC blog, I’ve expressed in a handful of past blog post about my struggles with anxiety and sleeping. I don’t talk about it often because I don’t want to give more power than it deserves, but it is something I’ve battled with since childhood and I realize talking about it on the blog may help others deal. I don’t mind sharing my story. Part of the reason I blog is because it helps with my anxiety, I’m able to get my thoughts out through the blog and empty out all the creative that I feel is about to burst on the inside of me. As a child, I use to cry and cry for hours for no reason, sleeping was a struggle and it would be very difficult for me to exhaust myself. My mother opted not to put me on medication and decided on a more holistic approach which I use to this day. So, below I’ve shared a few of the ways I destress and manage my anxiety.

BLOGGING/WRITING

As I’ve mentioned before, blogging is a great way to empty out and release a lot of the creative I often have building up inside of me. If I’m unable to get it out this can trigger anxiety. I usually do big projects in one day, the thought of having to spread it out over a long period of time is a trigger for me. Sometimes I fear I’ll lose my creative if I don’t let it out right then and there. If I feel something stirring up inside of me, I do it at that moment and it’s really a release. I know, this isn’t always realistic and that drives me nuts but I fight it when time doesn’t permit. My suggestion, If you have a creative something on the inside of you, get it out when it’s in its truest, purest form and worry about tweaking it later. You may have some missed opportunities but when you’re a creative person, something else amazing will always come up.

NATURE WALKS

My husband works for Parks and Recreation for our city now and I’ve discovered that exploring our under utilized parks have really relaxed me. Nature is beautiful in all it’s ways. I’ve come to enjoy the quiet and the vibrant colors tucked away in our city. I can clear my head, recharge and prepare for another creative outburst. Nature walks help me turn my brain off and help me to focus in on all of God’s amazing creatures and plant life.

TEA TIME

My mom use to buy me sleepy time tea to help soothe me and get me to sleep. I still buy this tea and it calms me and has a childhood connection to it. It may not have any magical powers but the connection it has to my amazing mother and childhood experiences, tricks my brain into thinking something is working, and sometimes that’s all you need.

EXERCISE

This may seem like an obvious solution but I heavily rely on exercise to calm me, exhaust me and center me. I do a lot of high intensity workouts throughout the week with the sole intention of exhausting myself so I can sleep better. This has done the trick for many years and provides a lot of health benefits outside of just reducing stress. One of my friends copes with anxiety by doing yoga. I haven’t done many yoga classes but hope to explore this avenue at some point. For now, I’m liking the results of intense cardio and strength training and my sleep has been amazing because of it.

TIME WITH GOD

I read my Bible, I attend worship service regularly but what really helps me the most is listening to worship music. I love music, I’m a vocalist and God blessed me with a voice so I’m going to use it and listen to others who have the gift too. Music is relaxing and takes me to a peaceful place.

I’m happy I could share and open up about a few of the ways I cope with my anxiety. It’s not easy to share this info with the world but self-care is nothing to be ashamed and as the years go by I care less and less about what people think and more and more about taking care of my needs and the needs of my friends, family and loved ones.

The green dress I’m wearing is from Zara but I got it from a consignment store a few years back and of course my pink heels are from DSW, you can shop them here.

I hope you all have an amazing week!

Sincerely,

Deidra Marie