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I've never been a super zen person, but when I hit my 40s my anxiety went through the roof. Suddenly I was getting panic attacks whenever we flew anywhere, lying awake worrying about trivial things, making my even more stories than usual in my head. After almost 7 years of trying to manage it, I now know that most of it is related to peri-menopause. HRT has helped a lot, but since my hormones are still fluctuating it's impossible to have the right amount every day, so anxiety and panic still strike from time to time. In this blog post, I want to share with you some things that help me stay centred.

Creativity

The training that started my whole spiritual journey was in intuitive art, and I've learned that creativity isn't just a release, it's a really helpful part of managing my mental health issues.

Doing creative things calms my mind - that's actually the power of intuitive art, it quiets the thinking mind and lets soul-level guidance filter through. 

But it's more than that. Doing creative things puts me in touch with my inner self like nothing else. The creative things don't even have to be art or anything like that. At the moment, my creative thing is my bullet journal. Give me an hour, my notebook,  my stickers and colorful pens and I'm happy. And I always feel so much better afterwards, it's like the practice helps me be present in the world, and mindful of what I need and want.

Channelling / spiritual connection

I know that not everyone is a channel, or wants to be. But absolutely everyone can find their own way of connecting with spirit, the universe, higher self, God, or whatever else resonates. I think that the point is to stay connected to something bigger than yourself, so that you don't feel alone, abandoned in the world. 

If this appeals to you but you don't know how to get started, try working with oracle cards. It's how I started, and I still think it's the best way to start!

Going to places that have meaning to me

One of the joys of living in Ireland is that there are so many magical places. One of my favorites is only a 40-minute drive from our house: the Poulnabrone Dolmen. It's the oldest dated megalithic monument in Ireland, and I feel connected to something ancient when I'm there. I make it a point to go there regularly, it kind of fills my spiritual cup.

Here's a photo of me there just the other day, combining my visit with one of my other centering activities, channelling. I love to go there, find a quiet spot, and tune into the energies to see if I get anything significant.

Isn't it gorgeous? 

If you're curious about what I got during my channelling, here are my notes:

"Walk your path step-by-step. Focus only on the step right in front of you. Is it the right one? Is there a better way forward for you? Easier way? More interesting way? Choose that next step based not only on where you're going, but also on what's important to you on the journey to get there. You can't bypass the journey so you may as well make it as enjoyable and meaningful as possible. When you don't know the next step, connect with the ancient. Let that which came before you hold you and your dreams."

What do you think? Was this message for you, too?

Wine 🙂

This is a funny one, and definitely not recommended by the medical community. But I find that having a glass or two of wine when I'm feeling anxious definitely helps. I've been a wine drinker for a long time - I spent almost 30 years living in Belgium, and there is definitely a wine-drinking culture there (though beer too, to be fair). It might not be a good crutch for everyone, but it is for me, and I really want to be honest about what helps me. 

The Golden Girls

Yes, the tv show from the 80s. When my anxiety was at its worst and I could barely leave my bed, I took to watching Golden Girls. Something about it being from my childhood felt comforting, and something about the fact that the girls were of menopausal age resonated. Plus the stories were simple, so I didn't need to concentrate that much. And there were plenty of funny moments when I would smile in spite of myself. Sometimes, the simplicity of it was exactly what I needed.

You may notice that meditation is missing from this list.

That's because I'm not a huge meditator, and I haven't found it to be that helpful when I'm keeping anxiety at bay. I know it's supposed to work for everybody, but it just doesn't calm my mind as much as I'd like it to. Maybe I just need to practice more, who knows. In the meantime though, I use EFT, channelling and creative activities to calm my mind, as these don't require more practice, they already work for me.

Sometimes it's important to let yourself do whatever is the right solution for you, instead of beating yourself up for the things you think you should be better at. That kind of judgement definitely doesn't help anxiety, and it's harmful in other ways too.

Just throwing this out there, in case someone else needs permission to go with what's working, even if it's unconventional.

How about you? If you have to manage anxiety, what helps you? Do our lists overlap in any way? Let me know in the comments below!

Love,