My anxieties mirror yours; my peaceful places are identical.
When I was young, I found peace and contentment in old Appalachian mountains overlooking a river which flowed toward a city which was my home. I could leave loose of what was there and not pleasant, cruel, not, what I wanted.
I walked and examined nature, thought and felt the simple things I observed, and wanted never to leave there.
I would be there still, if I had had a brain, or if I had listened to the one I have.
Even now, I live in the worst possible place for me, and I did it without thinking, pushed by forces outside and acquiescing to others. Too late to change, but I mourn what I had and should have sought out.
A peaceful place is with a friend who cares; this computer, a smattering of family, far too little, and a hope to connect as much as I can with... peaceful places, wherever I find them. With whom I wish to find them. They exist, whether real or in books, or paintings, or a certain smile. I can still find them while sitting on a bridge, above a stream, staring into space whether above at night, or below my feet. A molecule of water, or a distant star treat me the same.
Terrific piece you've written, the soul of many exposed, I think.
Hello Mister Paul!
I must say...you write beautifully about your peaceful places. Rivers, streams, and water in general can be quite soothing. Right now I am listening to the ocean on my Ipad. It really does put you in a different frame of mind. What is horrible is when you do go to a peaceful place and your mind makes it difficult to enjoy it. It is that saying..."wherever you go, there you are." Or some such thing. I know I am at my anxious worst when I am in a wonderful place of nature and I cannot get my mind to stop and enjoy it.
Thank you so much for your comment...simply reading your words puts me in a calm and tranquil state.
Hope you have a peaceful weekend!
I enjoy being outdoors. I love smelling the fresh air and seeing and feeling the sunshine. I love seeing trees and wildlife. Camping is relaxing to me, if I am with people I am comfortable with.
I also love candles. I can find a relaxing place by lighting a candle and enjoying the quiet. I also like driving in my care alone when I can play the radio and sing.
Stressful places that cause me a lot of anxiety are malls, busy places with lots of people and lots of noise like bars or night clubs. They are so loud that you can't even hear yourself think.
Another anxious place for me is when I am being questioned about me personally or about my opinions or myself. It makes me very nervous and I would rather be any place else but there at that moment feeling like I am on trial.
Hey Rena!
This is a good list. I love the outdoors too but I have to say...I don't think camping would be my thing unless it is camping in a nice cozy log cabin with all the amenities...I would be scared of all the wildlife and bugs out there. I grew up in the city so camping is foreign to me. Is it fun? I like the idea of smores. :>)
Thanks so much for popping on over here to the anxiety site. I hope to see you again!
So MM, you are a City Girl. Thats ok, I'm sure you have a lot of street smarts that us country girls don't have. I was raised in Missouri (in the Ozarks)playing in the woods and liking bugs and animals. Here in Idaho, where I live now, we don't have a lot of bugs though. I go camping just outside of Yellowstone National Park. I do get to see moose, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, buffalo, coyote, beaver, racoon and etc. We also have to watch out for grizzly bear, black bear, wolves and mountain lions. So far in my camping experiences I have only found grizzly bear, black bear and wolf tracks and some sighting from far, far away. I hope that is as close as I get.
I do like some comforts. I camp in a small camp trailer with a shower in it. I use a battery for lights and propane for hot water and heat. My days of really ruffing it in the wilderness are over. I'm getting to old for that stuff. If I had to sleep in a sleeping bag on the ground with my RA now, it would kill me!
As for the smores,...you can camp out in your own living room! I bet your son would love to "camp in" and eat smores. Happy Camping! 
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Most of my life, I lived within a few blocks of a place called, "The Botanical Gardens." There are a couple of broad lawns filled with the sky and a series of walkways through the rose garden. A geyser fountain rises up out of a central pond and creates a shield from human voices if you are standing close. Lovely water lilies. But my favorite part is where all the trees and wild undergrowth make a cool shade even in the summer. There are downed trees here and there where one can sit and think. Or read. I used to go there to study in high school and college. One of my favorite boyfriends and I went there often and sat on a wrought iron bench under a rose bower.
We also spend a lot of time at the lake when I was growing up. I had fun and much needed change of pace hunting for arrowheads, fishing from a canoe, just hiking, watching dark storms roll in. And best of all, lying on the deck of our lake house watching the stars at night. There's nothing like being out in the country and experiencing the Milky Way.
Another fave? Going to bed alone (any time of day) with a fan blowing on me and having that time to think all I want to. Or at least until I fall asleep. One of life's best luxuries is time to think.
And the worst places to go? Big parties that don't start till after 7 at night. A cemetery. The mall, unless I'm with someone fun. Any place I feel obligated to go, even though a truly don't want to. But one of the worst is an amusement park: too much noise, no healthy food, people milling about aimlessly, and the nearest restroom is on the other side of the park.
Donna
I love gardens too Donna...I would love such a place. That sounds so peaceful and nice. I would love to go there right now.
One of your anxiety places is one of my favorites. I love cemetaries. Growing up in the inner city...didn't have any parks or playgrounds nearby to go to so my mother and I would pack up a picnic and go to the cemetary. It was kinda weird but...very peaceful.
It is really good to see you over here. Thanks for all you do on all the mental health sites...you help so much.