Therapeutic Tools for Calming One's Anxiety Level

[live4today, RN]

i find the color blue to be a very therapeutic color as it calms my anxiety level when i am surrounded by the color blue...especially a french blue color.

i have been awake half the night....unable to sleep...so....guess who i turn to after i'm finished talking to my lord? that's right.....my allnurses siblings. :kiss

i was thinking of things that would calm my anxious heart, and remembered when i took industrial arts in high school how soothing it was for me to work with wood.

i love the smell of wood, sanding wood, shaping wood into different objects, etc. i even want to design and build my own wood furniture when i can afford the hobby.

i made a wooden fish with a green marble for an eye when my oldest daughter was a toddler. i was so very proud of my big fish, too. so was my kiddo!

what things do you as nurses do that you find very therapeutic?

do you ever suggest to your anxious patients therapeutic hobbies to do while they are awaiting surgery, or recovering at home, etc.?

what calms you the most that you share with your patients or other peer employees when you notice that they are dealing with a very stressful situation in their life?

[frankie]

cheerfuldoer,

i like to do menial, repetitive tasks to calm my anxieties. also yoga and diving. and meditation/relaxation. i encourage patients to breathe, imagine, talk with another nurse, if possible. for the kids, i find continuity of care is the best to allay anxiety.

frankie

[Audreyfay]

I like to watch a movie, especially a light one. I call it my 90 minute vacation from reality. But, it has to be with no commercials, otherwise my vacation is broken up into small pieces and isn't as therapeutic.

[researchrabbit]

I love to be outside when I am stressed (or not!). Feeling the wind, seeing the stars, sun, rain, watching my furry children run around, all of it is wonderful.

I also LOVE a good book....

[christianRN]

Exercise is what does it for me! :)

[Sleepyeyes]

I make lasagna. I woke up at 6 am to start it. It'll be done by suppertime tonight.

It's very soothing to make the sauce--to smell the aroma, stir, chop, and mix the garlic and peppers and mushrooms.... and grate the hard parmesean cheese into the meat for the meatballs...

"Making the sauce" means nothing more than food prep to most Americans, but to an Italian, "making the sauce" is a cultural experience that reconnects us and helps us to sort out all of those ugly "who am I and how did I get here" questions we plague ourselves with.

(This from an Italian-by-injection yet! )

[live4today, RN]

Right now I am listening to some smooth jazz. It is soooooo calming. Just came home from seeing the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"! Crazy as all get out, and sooooo much fun! I laughed and cried and felt happy inside, and wanted so much to be a part of a "Big Fat Greek Family". :kiss

I feel sooooo relaxed right now. All I am missing is a man to hold me, and make love to me until the cows come home. :chair: That's how I feel.....and I never hold back what I feel.....honesty is all I know how to be....it's who I am.....it's who I'll stay.

This new CD I am listening to is titled "Come Away With Me" by a 22 year old named Norah Jones. Man, this is a great CD!!! Well worth your money. What a voice this young woman has, too! :kiss

[Love-A-Nurse]

playing the piano does wonders for me. i get so involved with singing and playing that i end up with an up-lifted head with tears of joy instead of bow-down head of worries.

the water is also calming and relaxing too. i like this thread.

[live4today, RN]

originally posted by lpn,future, rn

playing the piano does wonders for me. i get so involved with singing and playing that i end up with an up-lifted head with tears of joy instead of bow-down head of worries.

the water is also calming and relaxing too. i like this thread.

hi stephany :)

i had piano for a short bit as a child, then again for a short bit as an adult. i switched to the violin because the school provided the musical instruments for their students through eighth grade, so i played violin from 5th grade through 8th grade inclusive, and loved it. i love to listen to piano music......especially if i get to watch the pianist play. i'm soooo visual! :kiss maybe when i come visit you, you can play for me sometime. would you?

water is indeed very calming and relaxing which is why i ache to live by the ocean......my favorite ocean is the pacific ocean of california...of course...

[Gardengal]

As my name implies, I spend time in my garden. When I need to refocus I go "play in the dirt". There is nothing quite like investing myself into making something beautiful. It's a slow process to build a garden. Years of efforts for seasons of enjoyment.

And when the weather isn't right to play in my garden I tend to seedlings and transplants in my grow box.....and when I'm too tired to do either I enjoy the fruits of my labors by viewing the beauty or work on my hands and nails because I sure beat them up with working as a nurse or in my gardens.

[Love-A-Nurse]

it would be a delight to play for you. will you help me sing? :)

[Love-A-Nurse]

by the way, i like the color blue because it speaks royalty to me. :chuckle