Anxiety and Depression -- and Paper Mache Chickens

Anxiety and depression are everywhere these days...almost everyone I know suffers from some degree of these. Most of these issues, however, stem from our unrealistic expectations that we will be perfect and that life will be perfect. This is a great quote which pretty much describes how hard we can be on ourselves -- and how we can help this:

"I was having trouble finishing my novel -- typical writer's block. So I sidetracked myself into making silly creative projects -- papier-mache chickens, masks made out of junk mail, collages incorporating bottle caps and dryer lint. I can't say any of it is 'art,' but I feel creative again and my house is full of colorful stuff I whipped up myself. If you wait to be perfect, I concluded, you'll never make anything. I tried something I knew I'd be bad at, so failure didn't matter. Now I'm branching out with my inadequacy -- not waiting for Mr. Perfect but having a beer with Joe Flawed, forgetting to be right all the time, admitting that I haven't a clue. I've become smilingly, brilliantly dumb."

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anxiety is usually linked with the Heart channel and Depression is usually associated with the Liver channel. When we are under stress, the effect of this stress on our bodies creates a "deficiency" in the way blood circulates to both the Heart and Liver (according to Chinese Medicine Theory), therefore resulting in Anxiety and Depression.

In short, the more pressure we put on ourselves, the more tense we become -- and the more difficult becomes the circulation -- so the more Anxiety and Depression we experience. The more Anxiety and Depression we experience, the harder we are on ourselves....and the whole cycle repeats itself. Plus, it is said in Traditional Chinese Medicine that when the organs are empty, the Mind and the Heart are in Chaos...but when the organs are full, the Mind and the Heart are Calm and Content.

It is thought that by nourishing the blood of the Heart and Liver, through acupuncture and herbs, that one can break the cycle and be kind to ourselves again -- and light -- and balanced.

Moreover, as described in the quote above, when you have a chance to do so, nourish thyself with a creative activity...it is a way of opening yourself up, nourishing the Hun of the Liver, the blood -- and bringing joy into your life.