Therese, I agree with these things, but I think something less exotic and probably less expensive than sashimi (whatever that is) would be a better recommendation for Omega-3′s. A handful of walnuts or a salmon sandwich (using the salmon in the tuna-sized cans; it’s a better grade) sounds more doable.

Therese, I recently started reading Beyond Blue, and it’s now one of my “12 things”. )
Here they are in no particular order:
1. Time spent with good friends
2. Sleep
3. Meds(whenever needed), Omega-3
4. Cardio
5. Hot tea
6. Good books
7. Reading Beyond Blue and Happiness Project
8. Dance
9. Doing something creative
10. Avocado sandwich
11. Meditation
12. Trying to stay in the moment

I started creating the list and I thought, “Hmmmm, it will be hard to come up with 12.”, but I reached 12 and kept going!
1. PULL OUT OR POST THE LIST AND REFER TO MORE OFTEN THAN YOU THINK IS NECESSARY
2. Pray to God for strength and guidance
3. Phone a freiend
4. Work in the garden or yard
5. Take a walk outside if the wheather is good enough
6. Put on a CD and dance. Turn the music up and dance some more.
7. Brew a cup of calming herbal tea and think good thoughts while slowly savoring it.
8. Read the Bible, a book, or the collection of inspirational materials gathered and bound for (obviously) inspiration
9. Read any good book for shear enjoyment
10. Meditate or lie down and listen to a relaxation ot just a relaxing CD.
11. Do soething creative.
12. Practice a hobby
13. Write an old-fashioned letter.
14. Write in a physical journal or post a blog online.
15. Take a bath using all the goodies: candlelight, music, bubble bath, body oils, etc.
16. Play with the cats. It’s good for me and them.
17. Eat one square of extra-dark chocolate.
18. Feed the birds
19. Watch the sun set.
20. DO JUST ONE THING ON THIS LIST EACH DAY
The list can still go on…eat something healthy, don’t eat junk food, cut out sugar, take medicine as necesarry, tell someone you love them pay someone a compliment, learn something new…And who said you need to be anxious to benefit from such a list. I heard a line in a song that said, “A lifetime is just a day.” What if we only had one human, 24-hour day left on this earth? How would you spend it? Add that to your list. Everyone needs to live well and live better.

Hi Theresa,
I have been enjoying your blog for about a year. Thanks for all your wisdom and encouragement. I had to comment on this one because I wrote a blog entry on 12 things a while back. http://morrcreative.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

Oops you have to scroll to the bottom of the July page to see the 12 things.

Also, decaf tea still has caffeine. Better to drink herbal tea.

My advise is to keep yourself busy. Don’t sit at home and have negitive thoughts, as I say “sitting in your shit”. I started coaching football and it’s helped me.

My twelve things to fight off anixety is prayer,reading,meditating,taking a nice walk and enjoying a nice drink with something good to eat.

My answer would be, “whatever works for you.” My own stress busters are, music, writing, and reading, in that order.
Invariably, when I;m stressed, and want to write, the internet is down:) I used to get really frustrated. Now I just shrug, say, “Murphy’s Law,” and put on some good music.
If all else fails, a little dark chocolate does the trick!
Best to all of you. There is really no reason for us to be anxious, because, we don’t control what happens. Whoever does, is going to take are of you!

Listen to your favorite music. James Taylor always works for me.

Never listed my ’12 things’ before, but I’ll give it a shot:
01 – Stop blaming yourself for things you could’ve done but didn’t do.
02 – Stop thinking of the (too distant) future. Live one day at a time. At some point we’ll all hit the bucket, and the sun will swell and engulf the earth. So what?
03 – Engage in some physical exercise. An hour or two at the gym empties my head of practically ALL things, so when I do get back to them, they’re back to normal in size, even the good things.
04 – Listen to music you like, but keep the volume moderate to low. (My personal New Age favourites are Dean Evenson and Deuter.)
05 – Think of the people you love and who you KNOW love you.
06 – Think of all the good things you’ve done and pat yourself on the back for all of them.
07 – Do something you really like to do, at least once a day. For example, I enjoy writing letters and sending cards, and sometimes just devout practically half a day doing this, sometimes even while there’s a deadline of some sort approaching.
08 – Arrange your home so that there’s something nice to look at when you’re home. A vase with your favourite roses, maybe, or a photograph of a loved one or a holiday spot, or maybe your lovely garden and the neighbour’s majestic oak just over the fence.
09 – Remind yourself that negative things are just a part of life, and will come and go with the tide. Expect them, and then forget them. They’re not everything.
10 – Remind yourself that you’re actually in control of many things. And guess what? You really ARE in control of many things.
11 – Don’t overeat.
12 – Have faith in yourself, and believe in yourself. For some, this could be the most difficult. Believe me, though, it’ll be worth all the effort.