Returning to My Favorites to Manage Anxiety

Today is one of those days when I woke up anxious for what seems like no real reason. This happens on occasion, but every time it does it catches me off guard. Between the overall feelings of anxiety and feeling powerless and surprised when it happens, it’s hard to even get out of bed on days like this. One of the ways I deal with the feelings of stress and powerlessness is to return to a small collection of music, movies, and video games that occupy a special place in my heart.

My List of Favorites Helps Me Manage Anxiety

A few years ago, in an attempt to better manage my anxiety, I put together a list of my favorite things. This list is broken down into books, movies and TV shows, video games, and music. I use the list as a reference – whenever I’m feeling excessively anxious to the point of debilitation, I’ll consult it, and put on a movie from it, or play a video game on it. Doing it helps me bring that anxiety down.

What qualifies something to receive an entry on the list isn’t entirely straightforward. Yes, everything on the list are things that I would consider favorites – why would I want to subject myself to something that wasn’t an absolute favorite if I’m going through an anxious episode?

But there’s more to it than that. Everything on the list are things that I’ve read, seen, played, or listened to more times than I can count. Nostalgia plays into that to an extent, but I wouldn’t entirely reduce it down to nostalgia – there are things on my list that I first watched or read in college that I wouldn’t necessarily call nostalgic.

I realize, now that I’m talking about it, that there isn’t an easy way to describe what I would consider worthy of being placed on the list. It isn’t something that has a formula that can carry over to anyone else. I suppose they’re all things that, for whatever reason, have connected with me in a special way. They’re things that I can watch (in some cases) hundreds of times and not get tired of. They’re things that make me feel content in the moment.

Find Your Favorites

Like I said before, I don’t think there’s a formula I can share that can help you put together a similar list for yourself. Figuring out what sorts of things qualify as favorites is something that only you can do. But once you do, that effort is entirely worth it. You’ll be able to take your mind away from your anxiety, and lose yourself in comfort and peace, even if it may only be for a short time.