Topic: SELF HELP TIPS FOR MANAGING ANXIETY

Hi everyone

i have been feeling anxious for about 2 years. My kind of anxiety is triggered by certain stimulus and it is exhausting to be honest. My mind and body feels so tired of it and honestly i always ask myself why is this still happening even when before is started feeling this way i was fine and happy.These days i don't take joy in my favourite hobbies and am feeling miserable. I will try the tips i have seen on the forum.

im just wondering does anyone else feel something similar to this?

Hi, my anxiety happens mostly on the road. My actions are limited, apart from pulling over.

Talk back radio has been an absolute saviour, especially when good topics are on. A good session can distract your mind and have you mentslly engaged.

Being in the car and alone, talking or singing loudly helps by releasing the tension in the jaw that leads to my breathing difficulty. Not always, but enough times to be worth a mention.

Hi all

What a great thread. I read about the music Weightless on here and have drifted off to sleep to it the last two nights.

I also didn't know about the Mindspot course but I recently did one with This Way Up specifically on health anxiety and it was helpful (they have several specific ones).

When I'm really anxious/stressed and can't focus so much on reading I find things on the net to watch/listen to. Dr Harry Barry has a few short videos which are good and informative. Petrea King's Meditation Group on fb is wonderful (for me) - she runs a live talk and meditation on Monday nights but you can listen any time during the week. And then I also drift off to sleep to Michael Sealey on youtube.

On my phone and every handy I have the Headspace app (they have some very short meditations and are great); and Buddhify which I used to use a lot but these days prefer Headspace.

Hope some of that helps someone.

Something I find helpful when I'm feeling anxious is going out for a walk in the fresh air. If I can't get out of somewhere though, I sing a comforting song in my head and it usually calms me down quite a lot. If I'm having an anxiety attack, I make sure I can get outside into the fresh air, and I concentrate on settling my breathing. I drink plenty of water, and sometimes squeezing some ice cubes in my hands helps to calm me down. If I'm just having anxious thoughts at home, putting in some earphones and listening to music really helps me. I also read or stretch.

Hi everyone

So many good tips - thank you Jill, Doog, Cake My Day, Autumn Red - such great ideas that you've shared.

It's rather great this thread meanders along on its own with new people popping in here to share their tips - AWESOME everyone.

Every little TIP helps.

Kind regards

PamelaR

music.. blocking off all sounds and using a headset. I can control my mood with different types of music. mostly helpful when I feel like I can’t go outside and face people.

Showers. I’ll just stand there and concentrate on the water.

Taking a tablet when I feel it coming and I know I’ll be in a situation that’s likely to stress me. Mine are use when needed.. not everyday ones.

The one I don’t know how to control is my worry/fear anxiety. Which turns to anger. It’s the worst one.

Hi Jill,

I experience the exact same anxiety as you where the mornings before work are terrible with panic attacks, catastrophic thinking and dry reaching. It’s got to the point where I’ve had to take time off work to seek help.

Do you have any tips on how you manage intense anxiety in the morning? I find it very difficult to go to work after a severe panic episode and the day becomes a bit much for me.

You aren’t alone

Hi there Shirty

Sorry to hear you are experiencing these symptoms l know exactly how you feel. The morning anxiety was the worse and lve found in time my physical symptoms such as gagging and anxiousness have gotten better.Once l accepted the anxiety and not try to fight it so much it became better. It took about 7 months for my dry reaching to subside abd occasionally l still feel it but l wont let it control me. I only just in the past few weeks have managed to get back to work.l keep busy. Your not alone and it will get better.

Take care

Hi everyone!

So pleased there are so many of you posting your tips for coping / managing anxiety.

Many thanks to Jill G, Chloe111, Shirty, Annie-1, Tread and anyone else I've missed.

Managing anxiety is an ongoing lifestyle. It's taken me sometime to realise that just when I think I have anxiety beaten, it jumps up to say, NO.

Once I began to accept that, I've found it a little easier to manage. One of the biggest things for me is to -

change the stories I'm telling myself. Often I need the help of others to challenge my thinking. E.g. Stories like -

my hubby doesn't like the way I hang out his socks. Therefore, I'm useless, good for nothing. Blah, Off I go.

I now change it to - hubby has such a good way of hanging the socks. They dry quicker. He certainly isn't giving me a hard time at all.

Tip -

Find the cause of the anxiety. For me there is always something I've thought about - Usually my inner critic telling me how worthless I am.

Then change the story the inner critic is saying to something more realistic. Talk it through with someone to help get it clearer in your mind.

For those of you who are having troubles in the morning. Do you know why? No pressure to answer, just something for you to think about.

Kind regards

PamelaR

Hi Pamela

Morning anxiety for me is probably not knowing what the day is going to bring even though l might not be thinking it l still have a slight fear and tremble and a tight tummy.

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has experienced tingling on lips and a strange smell and taste from anxiety. ....mostly mornings

HI

I also don't feel the best in the mornings, so I now struggle up and have a cuppa outside in the early sunlight (if not sunshine at this time of year). We have an old sofa on our decking on the northeast side of the house. Lifts my mood to do more and prepare something to eat.

Irene

Hi Chloe

Yes the fear one is hard for me to plus the nausea at times...l have to always get out

IreneM

I am not a morning person. I found just reading your post very calming. I find the morning sunshine through the window as I sit in bed very comforting .

Quirky

Hi Jill,

Yes I can say I have had my sense of smell altered by anxiety before - it seems to be heightened when it's really bad and then I'm very sensitive to all smells. Probably not a strange scent as you mention but it is weird how your senses get messed with. How have you been going with the nausea?

Bluey

Hi Bluey

Thanks for your reply. Yes the sense of smell is really strange...does it go away? My nausea has got better but still get abit quirky at times.

Yes in my case Jill the strange smell sensitivity does go away when my anxiety levels drop - hooraa.

Sorry to hear nausea is ongoing issue for you. Mine alternates between a sick feeling and a stomachache when I'm anxious. So I bring on the carbs - sometimes helps sometimes not.

Hopefully the nausea will stay away and give you a break for a while,

Bluey

Thats good to hear as its annoying and interferes with my taste.l can relate to the stomach issues and l also find carbs do sometimes help.

Can get my head around how the brain controls so much.

Take care

HI Quirky

I can relate to that as I was pretty much bed bound in the previous place where we lived, and the sun came right in our window it was nice. But now my main problem is lack of activity to get energy to do things. So forcing myself up is worth it and seems to give me energy for the day.

I.

I can relate to all of the stomach issues.

My main problem is diarhea at the moment. The reason is a mystery so I am getting a Referral to specialist. Some of you mentioned that Complex Carbs are helpful, me too. The less grains I eat the more runny my poo is and up go my chances of an accident where I poo in my pants anywhere. The Rice and Oats are keeping that in check at the moment. There is such a thing as a BRAT diet for diarhea (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast). I am surprised how much it is assisting temporarily until a cause can be found.

I.