b'Mindfulness Mindfulness is a method of observing your thoughts and emotions in a nonjudgmentalway. The goal is awareness and acceptance of experiences. It allows people to managetheir thoughts and remain in the present. It can be an invitation to feelings of calmnessand gratitude, allowing you to notice the good things that happen, not just the bad.For beginners, it is helpful to come to this practice without needing to be perfect.Those practicing mindfulness report improved physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Meditation Meditation can be an important tool for managing stress and how we react todaily occurrences. While meditating, time is suspended, heart rate and breathingslow, and the bodys stress response relaxes. Studies have shown meditation candecrease inammation, lower anxiety, improve sleep, and strengthen mental health.Meditation is exible. It can be used on a daily, weekly, or on an as needed basis. There are several dierent types of meditation. Breath meditation is an entrylevel practice that is focused on ones breathing. It is something that can be doneanywhere at any time. Walking meditation uses the experience of walking as a focus.Guided imagery can be prepared in advance for specic experiences that may causeanxiety, such as MRIs, infusions, or surgery.Journaling Journaling is an intimate and secure way to capture emotions, frustrations, andvictories that may not be easy to express publicly. You may not easily imagine your-self as a writer, but studies show that writing can be good for you. It has been shownto reduce stress, ease anxiety, and improve depression. Aromatherapy Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for a health purpose. These oils can bediused and inhaled, or diluted and used for massage. (Never put undiluted essentialoils directly on your skin.) Small studies have shown benets of aromatherapy foranxiety, depression, and stress management. The use of certain essential oils hasalso been shown to promote sleep.Yoga Yoga is a mind and body practice with a 5,000-year history. It combines physicalpostures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. Yoga has been shownto help stress, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Yoga is popular as a formof exercise in the MS community because of its ability to be adapted to all abilities.Creative Arts Therapies Art therapy, music therapy, and dance therapy are all creative arts therapies.They involve expressing yourself creatively by participating in one of these formsof art with a therapeutic goal in mind. These have perhaps the strongest evidence19'