Hi. I used to get mild anxiety as well. Meditation does help so does yoga…anxiety can also be caused by things like drinking too much coffee, chocolate, sugar etc so looking at getting a healthy diet is a start too. Cutting out anything that has caffeine or stimulants in it reduces anxiety :) Anxiety is very much lifestyle & dietary related so seeing a good naturopath is a start too. They will help you alot. If you can’t afford a naturopath go to a college of natural medicine student clinic in your area, as they normally provide free patient consultations & reduced medicine/herbal prescriptions. Also, take a good multivitamin & B vitamin supplement, calcium supplement, get regular exercise, look at learning to breathe correctly (perhaps through yoga classes) & eliminate white refined foods from your diet (things like biscuits, pastries & white rice/white flour/white pasta – choose wholemeal foods). Hope this has helped a little bit. Kindest blessings Shirley

There are some different techniques of meditation, but to me it seems that they all boil down to the same thing. So pick one (I do Mindfullness Meditation, see Jon Kabat-Zinn) and stick to it every day. Meditation does help for anxiety, as does regular exercise.

The best exercise, in fitness as in meditation, is the exercise that you do. So pick one that works for you, and stick to it.

Dear FreeRoadings:

Here are some suggestions:

The Art of Mindful Living, by Tich Nhat Hanh, http://www.amazon.com/Art-Mindful-Living-Bring-Compassion/dp/1564557987/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329763618&sr=8-1

Touching Peace: Practicing the Art of Mindful Living [Paperback], also by Tich Nhat Hanh, with illustrations by Mayumi Oda, http://www.amazon.com/Touching-Peace-Practicing-Mindful-Living/dp/188837599X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329763618&sr=8-2

I second the above suggestions regarding exercise and Yoga. To my mind, if you eat a balanced diet, you shouldn’t need supplementation, but be aware that even some clear soft drinks and sweet snacks may contain caffeine and other stimulants.

Be kind to yourself and take short breaks from work or study every two hours or so. Studies have shown this will help you stay focused, be more productive, and feel better.

Peace.

ha! i didn’t mean to ‘cheer’ this. =)

it looks like a lot of your goals are inter-related. loving oneself, mental stillness, meditation, eating right, exercising, loving relationships. they all have the very same essence and, in my experience, all happen together.

it’s awesome that you’re interested in mind-body/spirit while you’re in HS. i would have saved myself a lot of suffering if i had your priorities at 16-17! lots of things will come before you. listen to your heart and remember this attraction. it’s easy to get distracted in search of happiness… which is all good. i spent many years distracted. just reset whenever you find the chance.

take a look at some videos by mooji.
he talks about a wide range of issues so take what works for you now and leave the rest.

here are some videos that may be related to anxiety:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mooji+anxiety

here are a lot more videos:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mooji&oq=mooji

also, an awesome therapist can be an incredible gift. don’t close your mind off to the possibility and on the flip side, don’t settle for anyone who makes you feel like anything is wrong with you.

much love.
bmbh

I’ve had great results using passion flower extract.
It helps you to face the other, neccessary, things mentioned in the other posts.

I suffer from anxiety.

I’ve been listening to relaxation CD’s, and they have been helping a lot. My favorite is “Indigo Dreams for Adults.”

I’m also on prescription meds.