I struggle with anxiety and I'm worried that its taking a toll on my health.
When my anxiety spikes I get sensory overload and hyper fixated on things. When its really bad its almost as if I can feel every inch of my body at once. Every uncomfortable or tight piece of clothing, every drop of sweat every blink I take. It causes me to get really tense and I know holding that stress can be very detrimental.
For the most part I try to just keep my mind off it, but ultimately I wanna lower that base level of stress? Any suggestions? I'm not good with self-care.
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sam4231
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Yep. Insight Timer helps me too. I have to remind myself to use it at times.
Hi Sam,
Well there are lots of options. You're trying one now which is very helpful. Reaching out to others. I am willing to listen and comment (non judgmentally of course). It's always good to talk as therapy with someone who will listen. I think many of us here have the some of the same issues you listed in your profile. You can check mine too if you want to know mine.
Other things you can do to self regulate emotional behavior is Dialect Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) exercises. You can learn what these are and examples of exercises you can practice which are so many I can't list them all.
Other options are finding local community groups that meet for the same mental health issues you have. Groups can be found via your local health department, online or in person with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, church groups and/or Meet.com. Many are free to the public.
I'll think on more ideas for you, though I see others have posted their ideas. Cheers to you and your journey to better mental health. Oh don't hesitate to direct message me if you'd like to talk.
Hello Sam, I'm sorry your dealing with stress and anxiety too. I wish nobody have to deal with anxiety, stress or depression, or any mental problems. It robs our life. Deep slow breathing, meditation, Dare app. Free. Journal anything when your having an attack or stressed out, it helps getting your mind off things distraction. Listen to soothing music. Go outside ground yourself on grass or beach sand. Be in nature and focus on the now, what your looking at, find a hobby you like doing. Anything to get your mind off your stress, and symptoms your feeling. All these things helps me a lot. God bless.
I am trying the free NHS CBT course, in conjunction with the Headspace app. I think I have a long way to go yet, but I am finding it helpful. You can self refer to the NHS course.
Great advice from all the other comments!, my personal advice is try this naturally before medication, this can be done without medication and people who say they use it and it makes their anxiety better is just temporary relief, anxiety can be controlled without it.
Like the person above said, try cbt therapy!
Anxiety is not a mental disorder, it’s not a mental disease, it’s not a physical disease in your body, it is simply an over sensitive nervous system that needs some tweaking to return to normal levels. Anxiety will forever be apart of every single person on this planet, it is built into your nervous system and forever will be, so medication is masking the issue and getting some stress off the person who takes it, but what happens when the medication stops?
This is why it’s best to get to the root of the stress/anxiety even if you have to go back to something that happened in childhood, there is a reason this is happening to you.
First things first is making sure your body is getting all the vitamins, nutrients,sleep and water it needs to function, you can get all these from diet and vitamins you can take (: lots of info on google on where to start.
Second, start journaling your everyday life, write everything and anything!
Thirdly expect setbacks! Expect anxiety/panic attacks to happen, if you expect them, when they happen it’s a lot less devastating. Getting better means ups and downs! ❤️
Self care is one of the hardest things to “master”. Start off by learning about what exactly anxiety is, learn what’s scientifically happening to you during your episodes, it all eventually makes sense what your body is doing and what YOUR doing to actually keep the anxiety loop going and going.
Stress is a hard thing to control because you can’t always control what happens in your life, you just can’t, so start by slowly changing what you CAN control like your own bad habits or people close to you in your life that may cause you stress and just go from there (: good luck ❤️
What about going outside and walking? It gets endorphins up., gets me out in sun. Meditation can help look on YouTube for free programs of all varieties. an activity you like can help. I garden in non snow months, chop ice in snowy months... I find I can direct my stress out to end of ice chopper and when I reveal hidden pavement I get accomplishment. A hot bath with bubbles helps and provides soothing comfort like a giant warm hug, completing a task on a to do list as I get to strike it completed. It really depends on what you are stressing over too....
Sometimes just getting your stress out of your head (here) can do wonders as it’s out so u can look at it and make a plan how to deal with it or triggers....😊☀️🌷🤗
If you are able to have pets. I recommend a small "lap" dog like a dachsund or pug. They change my life
Sensory items work wonders. Aromatherapy, tactile stuff like stress balls, clay, silly puddy, sensory bottles. Maybe a weighted blanket or a weighted vest. Soft fluffy textures like a soft fluffy pillow and a soft fluffy blanket to feel comforted. Bubble baths, smelly good lotions. Make one area of where you live into a coping skill/ relaxation corner. Maybe even get a decorative box and put a bunch of stuff that soothes you in it. A pet also helps (do not put the pet in the calm down box) arts and crafts also help some people. Coloring, painting, scrapbooking, drawing, photography, blowing bubbles, even swinging on a porch swing (the motion is calming) rocking in a rocking chair. I can give more ideas if you would like. What are your hobbies? Things you like to do?
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Also when you feel the anxiety creeping in try to close your eyes and clear your mind. Picture colorful bubbles and with each anxious breath push the bubble away. Sensory overload is hard to cope with and having a calm down box is really helpful. Maybe even have your favorite flavor of gum on you and a travel size of your favorite good smelling lotion. When the anxiety hits chew the gum and smell the lotion.
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