It’s no surprise that we find ourselves living in what many call the age of anxiety.
The phrase was first introduced by poet W. H. Auden to describe the general uneasiness following World War I and it feels even more relevant today. Long before smartphones, social media, and artificial intelligence reshaped daily life, people sensed the world was changing faster than they could adapt. Nearly 80 years later, we find ourselves depending on technology to perform faster and faster just to keep pace with all the changes.
Shorter attention spans, nonstop news cycles, and fluctuating social demands all contribute to our chronic stress—often before we even notice it building.
The good news? The Daytona Beach area offers countless ways to relax, reset, restore calm, and stay grounded. Here are some reminders to turn to when you are looking for new ideas or want to focus on a new year's resolution to stay calm and carry on.
- Look out the nearest window and watch a palm tree gently sway.
- Sit outside and listen for the songbirds and even the gentle hum of a distant lawnmower.
- Keep a beach chair and sandals in your car—just in case inspiration strikes.
- Start the morning with a mountain pose or a yoga salutation to the sun.
- Find a cozy and quiet spot on the beach and listen to the waves roll in.
- Sip your coffee before plugging in and logging on to give yourself time and space to wander and to consider your own perspective before getting pulled in other directions.
- Make a short, doable priority list of only your must-dos for the day.
- Balance the tasks you dread with activities you truly enjoy.
- Find ways to reduce repetitive annoyances in your life - resolve to replace the refrigerator with the noisy ice-maker.
- Revisit the music you loved as a teen and build a fresh playlist.
- Subscribe to an uplifting author's blog.
- Follow a comedian or comic content provider - something that makes you smile.
- Use sticky notes to remind you of what's important in your life.
- Schedule unscheduled time to let your imagination and thoughts roam where they will.
- Print out your favorite photos and make a collage or even use an inexpensive online service to create a large-format art print.
- Try box breathing: inhale for four, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. Repeat.
- Prioritize finding and building a list of “your people”—the listeners, helpers, and healers who keep you grounded.
Challenges are inevitable, but rising to meet them often comes down to having maintained a practice of self-care. Staying physically and mentally flexible, maintaining life balance, and honoring yourself will help make you ready for whatever comes your way in the new year.
The Daytona Beach area offers countless ways to relax, reset, restore calm, and stay grounded.