Music cures everything.

Stress. Anxiety. Depression.
Where is all of this coming from anyway? I definitely did NOT ask for it. This is not something that I would ever wish for.
My heart speeds up. Why does it feel like it’s going to burst through my chest at any given minute? I try breathing slowly in and out. I begin to take longer and deeper breaths, hoping to relieve myself of this unwelcome feeling.Why won’t it go away? Please let it stop. Please make it leave. There are things I need to get done, but alas, I cannot concentrate enough due to the state I am in that I whole-heartedly despise.
I decide to lay down and try my breathing exercises. Maybe this will help. Maybe this will open up my airway wide enough to suffice this anxiety with whatever amount of oxygen it requires to make it disappear.
It doesn’t work. Nothing seems to work.

I jump off my bed and lace up my shoes. Maybe a walk will help to calm me down. Maybe it will make my body tired enough that it doesn’t have the energy to put me through this. I grab my ipod and my headphones, attach them to the appropriate places, and practically run out the door into the cool, fresh air. I begin my walk.

I put my ipod on shuffle, not really caring what I listen to – Anything that’s going to get my mind off of this. The first song comes on. It’s fast paced and I adjust my steps to match the beat. I look off into the distance and notice the sun is starting to go down. I guess I won’t be able to walk for too long.

The next song comes on. It is equally as fast-paced, but it’s definitely a happier song. My anxiety slowly begins to ease as the song moves along. My mind starts to focus almost entirely on the music and associating my steps with the beat.

Soon, I forget entirely about the stress that I was feeling. I start noticing various things as I’m walking by, such as the little boy playing in the yard with an over-sized ball that he clearly can’t hold by himself, but you can almost feel the same joy he is feeling just by watching him. Or the young couple that passes by on their bikes talking and laughing together; just living their lives in their own perfect harmony.

Yet another song comes on. This song is a little slower, but it’s okay, because it’s still uplifting. I slow my footsteps to match the song’s pace. The sun has gone down a little lower, but it is still relatively bright outside - Bright enough to walk in this part of town without many worries.

Eventually, I turn back onto my street and the last song comes on. It is the slowest one yet – Not happy nor sad, just a thoughtful song. Once again, I set my footsteps in tune with the music and march on back home, forgetting entirely why I needed to go on that walk in the first place. I finally make it back home, walk into my room, and breathe a sigh of relief. It’s gone. All of it. Every single bit of the aforementioned stress has vanished into thin air. I am finally able to relax and focus on that which I need to.
I am finally able to go back to my normal routine.
I am finally free.