Thank you all so much for your suggestions, caring words, and support. I hope that other VFers will also find some resources on this thread to help them with their own mental health issues.
My source of stress is bit a different, I think, in that I have had a sort of life change recently where my source of stress, namely my mother's ill health, ended when she passed away on April 22nd. The months leading up to her death were very stressful, as she was in a great deal of pain and became quite disabled in her last few weeks. Now it's over and I am having trouble refocusing my energy and making a transition to a normal life without my mother in it. At least, I
believe that is the reason for my feelings of anxiety.
I will definitely be checking out some yoga practices and meditations. I already keep a journal that works for me, walk (outdoors when I can) for exercise, and I try to do some sort of yoga with relaxing music 2 or 3 times a week (but I'd like to increase that!).
Vintage VFer, I have been doing some self talk recently that just sort of came to me out of thin air one day. I was feeling particularly stressed in the days leading up to my mom's funeral and afterward, so I would say to myself something like "I am calm, I am well, I am strong, I have purpose, I can do this...etc., etc." It helped to keep me focused and centered when I felt like just zoning out or running away!
Venus, thanks for the Rodney Yee link. I've saved it to a playlist, as I don't think I have a DVD with that practice on it. I do, however, have the Elena Brower DVD you suggested, but I haven't tried it in quite some time, so I will pull it out and give it try soon.
Leigh1673 I have saved a Travis Elliot playlist but haven't tried anything from it yet. Thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I really appreciate it!
Donna