Get unlimited access to everything VICE has to offer.

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

A Trauma Practitioner Says These 4 Hobbies Can Help Ease Anxiety

A trauma practitioner says yoga, nature, creative projects, and dancing can help calm stress and anxious thoughts.

Share on X (Opens in new window)X

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook

Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard

As someone who’s battled severe anxiety and OCD since I was six years old, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned over time was the importance of engaging in calming hobbies. Activities like reading, writing, and yoga have helped me in ways that talk therapy never could. Any time I’m battling a tough season, I lean a little extra on these and similar hobbies to carry me through.

Wondering what pastimes might help lower your stress and obsessive thinking? Here are four hobbies for the anxious souls out there.

Yoga is one of the best hobbies for those battling anxiety, as it helps reconnect us to our own bodies while breathing through discomfort. Typically, the more we can tolerate the present moment—without projecting into the future or dwelling on the past—the better we can regulate our emotions.

“I highly........

© Vice