With everything going on in life, our minds can become our own worst enemy. We, as humans, wallow in worry. Everyone, especially people with anxiety disorders, can stress out about the tiniest things. It may seem simple, and like it wouldn’t make much of a difference, but finding a hobby can make a massive difference with stress. A hobby, which you can put all of your focus on, is actually a type of meditation. That’s why a lot of therapists encourage you to use coloring books. You can just put some music on, in the background, and put all of your attention and thought on what you are working on, cutting out all that is going on in life, even if just for a little while.
When I am stressed, I like to wood burn. It is a hobby that I can even make gifts with, which I enjoy. I have always loved creating and buying, things for other people. I am one of those people that would rather give a gift than receive it. The happiness of the person who gets the gift, I feel, as well. I think that there are a lot of empathetic people like myself. So, find yourself a hobby, whether it is as simple as coloring, string art or something more complicated. Anything that you can work on, and just shut your mind off for a while, is a fantastic tool! I posted some of my wood burnings. They aren’t great, but they allowed me to accomplish all that I wanted. I cleared my mind and was able to make some gifts for the people I care about.