Tag: mental health

kathy ha anxiety poem

Anxiety & Me [a poem]

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By Kathy Ha | Featured Contributor

Does it ever end?
I’m tired of the inner turmoil
I’m tired of being anxious
the rollercoaster ride of emotions
swirling and churning within
old scars reopen
past nightmares haunt
doubt invades, fear paralyses
silent screams that no one hears
I keep building my wall
uninviting, tall and proud
but the façade is brittle
weathered by the years
I’m lost in despair
unsure of who I am
uncertain of how to change
afraid of the road ahead

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lance merrick anxiety poem

I’m Calming Myself Down [a poem]

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By Lance Merrick | Featured Contributor

Author’s Note: This poem is a mindfulness exercise that I use to help calm anxiety.

***

Feeling the room surround me
Testing each of my senses
Tasting sweet peppermint candy
Touching my feet to the ground
Seeing blue skies out my window
Hearing passing cars,
the bathroom fan,
My deep breathes and
the crunch of peppermint candy.

It takes about an hour to come around.
I’m calming myself down.

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Blackout: How Going Blind for 3 Months Taught Me to Be Mindful

Blackout: How Going Blind for 3 Months Taught Me to Be Mindful

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By Yvonne Aoll | Featured Contributor

Last June, I went blind in my left eye from a laser eye surgery gone wrong.

It would take a speedy instinctive quest for a second opinion, three more months, an older more experienced surgeon and another agonizing correction surgery, for my left eye’s vision to be restored. Thanks to the top-notch, wildly skilled, second ophthalmology surgeon I visited, I can see much clearly now with both eyes, with no need for spectacles or contacts. However, the months during which my left eye remained blind, while filled with unspeakable worries, also served as a crash course in mindfulness.

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