Healthy Options, Other than Food

     We have all been through crap, I know, but sometimes as you age, believe it or not, things can get better, not worse.  I am not sure for men, because I only know a woman's hormonal experience, but I know that as I get older, I feel more and more together.  
     Some of us can get into a habit of feeling something is wrong, like waiting for the other shoe to drop, and a lot of us feel this way, because that has always been the way it has been for us as long as we can remember, even into early childhood, not to go all 'pop psychology.'
     Recently a friend said something really, really odd to me, but instead of confrontation, because some of our friends as you know, are not completely stable and are somewhat disturbed, though an old fashioned word I know, for lack of a better word, I let it go, and asked God to help me see it differently.    
     So, I decided not to push the issue.  You know, sometimes we are stronger and more stable than we think.  Sometimes the unhealthy choices we have made, are just mistakes of our youth, and not a meter of our character.  
     Sometimes depression is only a bi-product of anxiety, inability to sleep, and worry.  Sometimes pharmaceuticals are the only answer, and I have been there, but sometimes one can outgrow the need for this, provided the diagnosis is not bipolar or schizophrenia, which are not just brought on by circumstance, but are biochemical.  That is, true bipolar, not bipolar brought on by circumstances, drugs or alcohol.  
     At this point in my life, when I feel bad, anxious or scared, if I remember to light some incense, and do yoga, meditation, and alternate nostril breathing, I can get into a better space, where that is all that I need.  I also find certain smells and colors helpful.  For example: teal and lavender make me feel calm.  The smell of lavender oil makes me feel calm.  Sometimes petting a dog or cat, makes me feel calm, which is why they walk therapy dogs through psychiatric hospitals, at times.  And, some occupational therapists, even bring their pets to work, if allowed.  The soft texture and purring of a cat lowers your blood pressure, they say, when you pet a cat.
     Lastly, we all have people who either 1) give us a hard time, 2) disrespect us, 3) are hostile, and or 4) are toxic to our well being from either blatant or subtle abuse, that is harder to detect, but there.  The thing is to rise above that, and to get in touch with one's sacred oneness, one's essence, and one's own truth, where none of this effects us.