We’ve all been there: the blaring alarm, the rushed scramble to start the day, and that nagging feeling that it’s already slipping through our fingers. Whether it’s the constant pressure of deadlines, family responsibilities, or just the noise of the world around us, stress and anxiety seem to be the default settings for modern life.
In the opening moments of your day, it can feel as if the weight of the world is right there with you — in your palm, through your phone. As you scroll through endless social media updates, you may see headlines of global crises or a perfectly curated life of someone else, leaving you with a sense of unease, of not measuring up. Anxiety sets in as the day’s demands begin to pile up, and the spiral of thoughts starts.
But what if we could slow down this whirlwind, if we could simply stop long enough to catch our breath and re-center ourselves? That’s exactly what experts like Saree Janz and Jennifer Olson are helping people do through practices of mindfulness, sound therapy, and meditation. In the midst of modern life's chaos, they are offering tools to help calm the storm.
The Spiral of Anxiety
Saree Janz, a hypnotherapist and transpersonal coach in Fargo, explains the sensation of anxiety like a spinning merry-go-round.
“If you think of a merry-go-round, with kids running around the outside trying to jump on, when it’s spinning really fast, you can’t see them,” she says. “That’s how our mind works when we’re overwhelmed — we can’t see the solutions to our problems. It’s important to slow the mind down to create space for those solutions to come through.”
Saree and her practice, InnerSpark Coaching and Hypnosis, specialize in helping people slow down the merry-go-round of their minds. Through mindfulness and meditation, clients can reconnect with their bodies and mind, moving beyond the “fight or flight” mode that keeps the brain locked in stress.
“When we’re in an anxiety or highly overwhelmed state, we’re accessing only a small portion of our mind,” Saree explains. “Meditation helps us return to a place of balance, allowing us to use the full capacity of our brain to approach challenges with clarity.”
Sound as a Tool for Calm
Jennifer Olson, the owner of Resonance Sound Healing in Fargo, uses sound as a therapeutic tool to help people find balance. “We spend so much time just getting through the day,” she says. “We don’t often take the time to process what we’re experiencing.”
For Jennifer, sound therapy is a transformative tool. “When we listen to sound, our brain waves slow down. We move into a more receptive state, where we can begin to recognize what’s happening in our lives and in our bodies without the interference of our thinking mind.”
Whether it’s hums from a singing bowl, the sound of the ocean, or music, sound has the power to help us access a deeper, more reflective space. It’s a universal language that speaks to all of us in different ways, but with a common goal — to slow down and connect.
A Simple Exercise: Follow The Sound
Both Saree and Jennifer emphasize the importance of creating space for ourselves in our anxious lives. The goal isn’t to eliminate stress entirely — that would be impossible. But what we can do is retrain our minds and bodies to better handle the anxiety that comes our way.
“There are all kinds of tools we can use to slow down and open up,” says Jennifer. “For me, that’s sound, but it could be different for everyone. It’s about finding what helps you tune out the noise.”
What works to center one person might not work for another, and that’s perfectly okay. The key is to find a tool that resonates with you — something that can help you come back to a baseline of calm.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, Jennifer suggests an easy exercise called Follow The Sound. This is about tuning into the sound around you — it could be ambient music, the hum of traffic, or even the chatter in a crowded room — and letting that sound guide you toward a state of calm.
Take a moment to tune into the world around you and let the sounds guide your focus. It might be the trick you need to recalibrate your mind, slow the spin, and find that sense of calm in the chaos.
Take Control of Your Stress
Mindfulness, meditation, and other stress-reducing practices aren’t one-size-fits-all, and that’s okay. What’s most important is finding something that helps you manage your stress, whether that’s a peaceful sound, a favorite activity, or simply taking time for yourself. It’s about recognizing that while anxiety is a part of life, you don’t have to let it control your day.
So, take a moment today to find what works for you. And remember, it’s all about discovering your personal path to calm.
If you’re looking for ways to manage your own anxiety, consider reaching out to Saree Janz at cocooningmeditation.com or Jennifer Olson at resonancevst.com for more information on how to incorporate these practices into your life.
Listen Now: Your Mindful Moment Awaits
So, what are you waiting for? Follow the sound and give yourself permission to take a break from the noise. Listen to the audio accompanied with this story and discover the sounds that help you feel centered.