Breathe. Meditate. Flow.

These three are my three favorite anti-depressants, relaxation tools, and immune support options.

I love the power that I have unlocked with breathwork over my years of trying, practicing, then falling into a healthy routine with it. I’m not great at keeping a daily routine, but I love when I fall into one. This past week and a half (that has since grown into a month and a half) I’ve been doing at least one 20+ minute wim wof breathwork session. I’ve been doing them in bed, typically before I fall asleep, and although I hadn’t made the connection until now, the sessions have been helping me fall asleep. I typically struggle with insomnia, sometimes taking up to 3 hours to fall asleep.

When I’m not feeling the best emotionally or physically, turning to one of these three ways of being helps me. If I’m tired I meditate, if I fall asleep while doing it, that’s ok. If I’m feeling low or depressed, I find an activity that puts me in a flow state like painting, and it elevates my mood.

Having tools and lists readily available for when depression, anxiety, or other adverse emotions strike and giving yourself an easy way to work through, transmute, or change your state is a way to know that there’s help instead of a spiral of ill feelings ahead. I have learned to identify when I’m starting down a negative path and try to alliterative the downward pull with an upward push. Sometimes I don’t have the mental strength to help myself, but turning to a list of activities or knowing that these tried and true three help push me out of a funk is a helpful way to pick myself up when I notice I’m falling.

Take a moment. Take a slow, low, deep breath expanding your diaphragm, then slowly exhale out. Notice how your feel, what you are thinking, and take time to connect with you.