I meant to ask this when I first found this site but have forgotten about it until now.
As dumb as it may be to ask but does anyone have any tips or tricks in regards to not working yourself up?
By this I mean half the time my anxiety or panic is caused because I’m anxious about being anxious 😅
Just wanted to know if anyone had any ideas. Also please no religious suggestions as I’m not religious.
Thanks ☺️
I make a deal with myself. I allow myself to think about things that make feel bad/anxious whatever for 5 minutes. Put on a timer. After the fives minutes I go do something, a chore, walk the dogs, exercise, play music. Any distraction that engages my body and mind. TV doesn’t work cause you just sit there.
All this mess is about dealing with whatever trauma happened in life, processing it and then reprogramming your brain to avoid the negative thought processes. So you have to trick your brain into doing different things cause all your brain wants to do is the same of routine.
I’ll try to give this a go, thank you!
I have heard about people putting a rubber band around their wrist and snapping it whenever their anxious thoughts arise.
I suffer more from depression and what you mentioned about doing exercise and chores helps me get out of my head too.
I feel like I should be an absolute black belt at distracting myself from anxiety by now but I know, it’s so hard. I try not to be alone with my thoughts for extended periods. I listen to music or podcast or audiobooks whenever I can. And when I have to be alone with my thoughts I use grounding exercises to try to stay in the present moment.
For example: look around the room and count five things you see, five things you hear, five things you feel. Then four things you hear, four things you see, four things you feel. All the way down to one.
My therapist has also told me to: hold an ice cube in my hand. Smell strong essential oils. Pop a strong mint. Anything that takes you back into your body and out of the “ worry about worry spiral.”
These things are hard and don’t always work but if you work on them frequently they can help.
Good luck friend - hope this helps ☺️
Do what I do; tell yourself that you're the master of your own fate, and keep doing it until that sentiment is etched onto your innerself. Once you've accomplished this, those words, that mantra, shall serve as resolve and armor; woe to those that remain in your way, from that point forth.
Thank you everyone for all the wonderful advice, I’ll will try putting all these suggestions into practice. I know some may not work for me specifically but won’t know until I try right? 😅 but thank you again to everyone who took the time to comment, I greatly appreciate it 🖤
any advice 
Hi!
Increasing anxiety
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