Anxiety + Depression: What I've Found That Helps Me

One good hug can make my day!

 
  Transparency: Its been a long journey to realizing that anxiety and depression are something I experience, and they will probably not go away completely any day soon. Partly this is because these emotions are lifestyle driven - I have to actually learn to live better, and practice what I learn. Like the note I made recently in my journal:

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  "How Fast Can You Master Your Lessons?"

  So here's 28 things I've learned that help me have better moods:

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1. Lifestyle really matters.
2. I do way better in a place with sunshine.
3. I do better with cheerful room-mates.
4. I do way better in a bright home, w bright lighting.
5. Herbs can really help me bounce back fast. Many good ones. Special mention: licorice.
6. Keeping it Simple is best. No big fancy projects, they just become another way of suffering.
7. Physical work for me is better than intellectual.
8. One good hug can make my day!
9. Beauty really matters.
10. Flower essences can rebalance me faster than almost anything else. (Bach flower remedies).
10.1 Having fun matters. I forget sometimes.
10.2 Color energy makes a shockingly big difference too, I especially love orange. Red is also medicine sometimes.
​10.3 CBD oil! Makes me calmer, and makes me feel soothed.
11. Being warm helps a lot. Anxiety gets worse when I'm cold.
12. My body likes *warm* food, and a lot of oil.
13. A small amount of the right kind of cannabis is a God-send.
14. Yoga is medicine. Even 15 mins is amazing.
15. Dark greens (like kale), are medicine: they greatly relax me and reduce inflammation.
16. Music making can be wonderful.
17. Meditation is essential - its breath control, emotional self-control.
18. Bright screens at night are energizing and push my bedtime later - not good for me.
19. Walking clears my head and brings insight.
20. I'm better when in relationship.
21. I feel best when I eat mostly veggies.
22. It's not about ending anx or dep'n, it's about living more and more wisely.
23. If I lift weights 2x a week, I have a lot more energy.
24. To increase gratitude, I read about other places (like the Favelas of Brazil).
25. The right supplements do help.
26. There is a lot of joy to be found in improving little things everyday.
27. Healing fully requires kicking my addictions. 
28. Healing fully requires making enough money.

  The biggest one right now for me is probably #6: Simplicity. I could also create a list of things I've learned to avoid (like noisy cafes), but that's a different list.

  I've also come to see that its really not a weakness in any way. Some of us are just very sensitive, and the instability we experience is often not coming from us, but at us. 

Related: 
CBD: The Great Body and Brain Healer
Healing Depression and Anxiety
13 Meditation Tips