share any simple relief or ideas for reducing anxiety etc?

Just a thought, if anyone has found a way of coping/relieving/helping to tame this Monster in any way, would they share it on the site so others might get some help from it, we all have different things that help us to relax etc and maybe other people haven't either tried or thought of them, worth a go eh? I mean everyday stuff, not any drugs or serious things that might hurt or make things worse, stuff like music, foods, films, and that sort of thing.

[ellabella]

Hi Anxman, I am working my way through this day slowly with many distracting things. I find if I don't distract my mind the angst just feeds on me. A nice shower and clean clothes makes me feel better, a few exercise's, really simple ones for indoors. Step ups mostly get rid of a lot of tension and release endorphin's . I also have a virtual farm on Facebook that I can lose myself in too. Don't laugh! or do! that works as well! Plan something nice to eat , prepare it and find a good film to watch later with ice cream lol. Anything is worth a try and mine do work for me.....most of the time. But I have to force myself to do it most days x

[Fifi_loves_rosie]

Some things that help me are:

- writing things down. Carry a small notebook and pen and when you feel overwhelmed write down your thoughts and feelings. I find my thoughts of worse case scenarios and tragedy are easier to put aside or unpick if I write them down. Otherwise I just get into a muddle in my head.

- there's a yoga position called 'the cat' it helps me because it losens your chest and back muscles up meaning you don't feel so tense, as chest tension adds to feelings of suffocation.

- I love 'Florence and the machine song called the dog days are over' because it's so upbeat and also I reword it to 'the dark days are over'. There's a very funny clip on YouTube of a baby dancing to this in a car and when it ends she cries until the mum puts it on again. Always puts a smile on my face.

- lastly I write down and tell people about my achievements. Anythingive done that I'm proud of. I used think there would be nothing for this list but turns out there's quite a lot

[mallet-head]

Hi Anxman,

Good suggestion to share successes as well as our darkest moments.

How about Apps for Android phones? I have a number of these on my phone, available whenever I need them - downloaded through Google Play, or the Apps store:- i.e.

1) "At Ease" for Anxiety and worry relief. Costs £1.91 to download from "Meditation Oasis"

2) "Take a break" - 2 scenarios for a break from work, choice of guided voiceovers, with or without music - from Meditation Oasis - £0.61p

3) "Relax Completely" from Hypnotherapist Direct Ltd - A fantastic free hypnosis session for deep relaxation which has received rave reviews around the world. Created by Darren Marks one of the UKs leading hypnotherapists and trainers includes video interviews and relaxation tips. The full version of this app "Sleep Deeply" is the winner of Best Medical App :: 2011 Best App Ever Awards.

I regularly use all 3 of these. The first two are especially useful in the office - can use at lunchtime to de-stress. The 3rd one is ideal to relax at bedtime to get a good nights restful sleep.

The charitable organisation, Wirral Mind - Fountain Project - are running a course soon on "Mood Food" - which I believe will aim to educate us on which foods promote good feelings and are good for us, and vice versa. I will try to report back on this if I can get to attend.

[Untitled]

The most important thing anyone can do is just focus their minds on something different for a change. We tend to go through everyday doing the same things but in reality we never seem to add change to our lives, that is because we are scared. No one is facing the fear from what i have read so far, so i guess facing it, going with the flow and just meditation. Even yoga is a good thing, infact that is an excellent way to relax and focus. These are the things i do and i have got through everyday life for over 30yrs doing this. sorry to say this but this problem will never go but it will subside so that you can go through your daily life doing nice and happy things again. Im not convinced there is a way out from this but there are ways in which we learn to deal with an attack, deal with stress and manage things differently.

Good luck to you all. x