Small practices for relaxation, anxiety-relief

Dealing with anxiety has become a recent-ish thing since I finally acknowledged what I'm feeling is more than just here/there stress, so I've been discovering ways to cope. In the past I've kind of naturally gravitated towards things like isolating myself and cleaning my room at midnight when I can't sleep, but now that I'm more aware I've sought out different ways. So here's some quick tips I've discovered at home.

1. Listen to a calm playlist. 

If you're like me and instrumental music doesn't give you the same stimulation as lyrical, but lyrical makes you analyze, then find songs in a different language. My current playlist features Japanese music, which I have on 8tracks. I use it most often to fall asleep, and it works every time.

2. Watch some yoga relaxation videos.

Yoga has been an amazing way for me to relax, and luckily there's tons of youtube videos for home practice. My personal favorite for relaxing is the corpse pose, and I'll link the video I use. It's the perfect length in my opinion—not long enough to fall asleep to, and not short enough that it doesn't work.

3. Own your space.

Lay on the floor in a place you feel comfortable where you can stretch out, put some headphones in, play some of your favorite music, and sing along. This is more of a cheer-up than relax tip, but sometimes that's what you need. A bit more happy than calm.

4. Have some reading fun.

Find some old picture books and start reading. It's got a nostalgic, calming effect to just lose yourself in the childhood things you love; plus, usually the art and stories are pretty inspiring.

5. Sketch it out.

If you're artistically inclined, or you're comfortable enough with art that it doesn't frustrate you, then do some sketching. Find a comfortable spot and look for something to focus on. It could be a doorknob, a sock on the floor, whatever. But be sure to also tell yourself that this is for fun. It's not a challenge to prove yourself. The quality of the sketch doesn't matter, it's just for the concentration.

Let me know what else you do to relax and de-stress. And, of course, my top recommendation would be to see your doctor and discuss the best way to deal with your anxiety.