A coping mechanism I am looking into is Mindfulness. This is paying more attention to the present moment to improve your mental health. Stopping rushing through life and look at your own thoughts and feelings.
Mindfulness – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
With everything going on in my life, I dont stop to smell the roses enough. I want change now, I feel I need things to improve now, which cant always happen.
For me mindfulness would involve a variety of processes:
1. Listening to some music – and properly listening to an album, not as background noise. I have music on all the time, but don’t listen to it. I have to consciously pay attention.
2. Experiencing nature – I find that being in the open air does replenish my positive energy, and will make more time to do this regularly
3. Trying new things. Sitting somewhere different can change your perspective on things. I do get stuck in my ways.
4. Develop an awareness of thoughts and feelings. This would mean me knowing when anxiety is going to strike, and pre-empting it creeping up on me.
5. My wife does do meditation. This has never been something for me in the past, but I will look at trying this.
I have bought the following little book, and will be trying the ideas, hoping to reduce stress in my life.
You can also buy colouring books and so on. I know this from work where colouring and jigsaw puzzles have been used to destress before now.
I am usually not the type to look into these sort of things, however the current state I am in means I am really struggling, and need to do something.
I will let you know progress