I have midterm exams this week, and, combined with a lot of stuff going on in my personal life, I've been a bit stressed and anxious. I was just wondering if you guys have any tips for dealing with it. Thanks!
Ian
Try listening to this guided meditation.
1/3 Sogyal Rinpoche - Rest in Natural Great Peace (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnEpPXsAExQ&feature=related#)
Recently I've been getting really stressed from school too, but I'd just spend a few minutes working out or dance haha. Exercise really relieves stress :) Either that or I usually just take a nap and listen to music.
Maybe give a try to consume your energy of anxiety. I mean, for me the first 'to do' ever is making my body fatigued. With sport, exercises, whatever (once, I was throwing large rocks into the river at a calm, hidden place - shouting, tightening my muscles). Then you got your body used, it doesn't help your mind by giving physical power. For me this method works well.
Then, here comes the difficult part.. feeding and digesting, killing and reanimating your mind. Each and every of us has a different method. Meditating, writing, drawing, playing games, listening to any kind of music that can show you that the most pathetic, 'deeper-within-soul' things are not in yourself, not inside. Slice your mind - here is the problem, here you are. Two different stuff! Just try to give yourself a different angle, to see: anxiety? No use!
If I'm down - like now - listening to Sopor Aeternus and Atrium Carceri and some symphonic metal... always helps to see what I am and how another beings are suffering - then I shouldn't.
But it depends on you what kind of music you prefer, which is able to kill then reanimate your mind. Perhaps, choosing a mask and hiding that you're blue, by forcing yourself into fake 'happy-happy-fake-sugar-world' - is not so cool. Just walls. You have to make something new from the old bricks of yourself. Don't sweep everything behind your smile, but re-create your smile. ;)
You'll get better soon. I hope am sure.