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How do you calm your anxiety?

FinleysMom

Shiny_Rock
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Nov 29, 2017
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264
I work with a 22 year old girl-child who talks incessantly about her “anxiety”. I want to scream at her to her to shut the heck up and her affliction will likely subside! Sheesh! We share a cubicle wall.

We have gone insane over this flu.
 

YadaYadaYada

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Feb 2, 2016
Messages
11,841
Taking a break from media.

I haven't done this yet but there is just too much, emails, text, news and threads on forums, it's starting to get to me, I might need to take a break soon.
 

stracci2000

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 26, 2007
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8,346
DH and I had events lined up every weekend this month. Two art shows and two events working with large groups of kids.They have all been cancelled, and I'm very relieved. My stress level went way down.
But to answer the question.
Yesterday I walked around in a high end antique mall and drooled over all the antique jewelry and other trinkets. Victorian hair jewelry! Sterling cigarette cases! Art Nouveau jewelry caskets!
I was in antique heaven and forgot about everything else. It was the middle of the afternoon, and I had the whole place to myself.
Another thing. I finally picked up a book I've been trying to find time to read. And for an hour or so, I felt relief, not worrying about germs and viruses.
 

MamaBee

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Mar 31, 2018
Messages
14,480
I talk it through and outline my concerns and think about plans of action with each scenario. Being prepared helps calm me. And then taking it one day at a time. We can’t control everything but we can control how we feel.

That‘s me to a T @missy...I’m a planner...I outline a plan and follow through...My life is extremely stressful. I try not to worry about everything at once. I compartmentalize my worries. I’ll take a couple of things to worry about while the others get put aside for a while..Right now..I’m planning on getting all my meds and supplies ready and in order. I’ll stop that for a bit and then move something else to the front. I make sure I’m still connecting to you guys...who help keep me sane...You can’t imagine how much you all help....Sharing the worry is important to me because I don’t feel alone...My husband is so focused on work that he’s not even up to date with what’s going on. I make sure to keep updating him so he’s not clueless...
I also make Alexa play Love Shack! Hahahahaha
 

Lisa Loves Shiny

Ideal_Rock
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Nov 1, 2007
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4,688
Exercise. I am avoiding the gym recently due to the number of people who are coughing and hacking, and every gym in my area does not enforce the rules to wipe down the machines. So I do 350 crunches in the morning, 100 push-ups, 40 squats and take at least a mile walk. If I miss a day it does affect my mood.
 

AV_

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Messages
3,889
I am not good at speculating against the ether ,( - the not news got to me early this morning, so I took note of a couple of official contacts & guidelines & shot down Twitter.
 

violet3

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Dec 18, 2007
Messages
3,793
I wish I was better about this - I struggle with VERY high levels of anxiety. I had a grand mal seizure 5 years ago, so I cannot take any medicine for my nerves (because I believe it caused the seizure). Right after that, I got off all of my meds and had to start dealing with my stress more organically.

The best way to combat stress for me is physical exercise - the most effective for me is yoga. When I am practicing really regularly (5 days a week or more), I am much calmer in general and able to handle curve balls without freaking out. Regular cardio also works for me. Deep breathing and meditation have never worked for me, because I can't sit still for long enough, but I'm working on it.

Benzo-drugs work for me (like xanax), but I'm really fearful of habit forming drugs, so I don't use them much, if it's possible to avoid it. Looking forward to reading other's responses and trying some new techniques!
 

OdetteOdile

Brilliant_Rock
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Aug 8, 2019
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1,581
I wish I was better about this - I struggle with VERY high levels of anxiety. I had a grand mal seizure 5 years ago, so I cannot take any medicine for my nerves (because I believe it caused the seizure). Right after that, I got off all of my meds and had to start dealing with my stress more organically.

The best way to combat stress for me is physical exercise - the most effective for me is yoga. When I am practicing really regularly (5 days a week or more), I am much calmer in general and able to handle curve balls without freaking out. Regular cardio also works for me. Deep breathing and meditation have never worked for me, because I can't sit still for long enough, but I'm working on it.

Benzo-drugs work for me (like xanax), but I'm really fearful of habit forming drugs, so I don't use them much, if it's possible to avoid it. Looking forward to reading other's responses and trying some new techniques!

I am so sorry to hear that you struggle with very high levels of anxiety. I think I have started to have back pain in the last week due to stress. Perhaps if I started regularly practicing yoga it could help me.
 

Ally T

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 24, 2012
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8,507
Exercise. I am avoiding the gym recently due to the number of people who are coughing and hacking, and every gym in my area does not enforce the rules to wipe down the machines. So I do 350 crunches in the morning, 100 push-ups, 40 squats and take at least a mile walk. If I miss a day it does affect my mood.

As of today, I have also decided the gym is out for now. They have been very good in putting out antibacterial spray & towels for everyone to use over the last week, and I realise we are still way behind some countries in the number of confirmed cases, but there's a lot of heavy breathing & general coughing in the gym. I will run through my fields, do my yoga at home, wash my hands a billion times a day & try to keep everything & everyone in my control clean & healthy.
 

YadaYadaYada

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Feb 2, 2016
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11,841
Oh, how adorable! A great companion to help reduce stress.

Right? Not my companion sadly but we have five furry and two feathered companions so we are covered!
 
Q

Queenie60

Guest
Walking and spin cycling. Prayer and meditation.
 
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Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,521
years ago my work situation was terribly stressful and a group of us woukd go to Budist meditation on Thursday evenings
it was very western orientated and nobody was trying to convert anyone
but i found the Budist monks and nuns so soothing to be around
one of the nuns was actually a mental health nurse - i can really see how it would help people
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,521
for anyone who needs a smile right now
@missy you might have seen this but its so gorgouse
cats-sleeping-strange-places-5e678ad2b3474__605.jpg
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
53,984
I wish I was better about this - I struggle with VERY high levels of anxiety. I had a grand mal seizure 5 years ago, so I cannot take any medicine for my nerves (because I believe it caused the seizure). Right after that, I got off all of my meds and had to start dealing with my stress more organically.

The best way to combat stress for me is physical exercise - the most effective for me is yoga. When I am practicing really regularly (5 days a week or more), I am much calmer in general and able to handle curve balls without freaking out. Regular cardio also works for me. Deep breathing and meditation have never worked for me, because I can't sit still for long enough, but I'm working on it.

Benzo-drugs work for me (like xanax), but I'm really fearful of habit forming drugs, so I don't use them much, if it's possible to avoid it. Looking forward to reading other's responses and trying some new techniques!

Sending you bucketloads of good wishes and calming dust @violet3...I think many of us (me included) are more anxious than normal right now but we are all going to be OK. I know it in my heart. We will all get through this. It's scary and it's also not a quick event but we will take it one day at a time and we will be OK.

Sending everyone who is anxious and/or stressed lots of good thoughts and big (((hugs))).

Exercise, mediation, music, hugging our animals and our loved ones and trying to get sufficient sleep and taking it all one day at a time.

740135

Little Gracie Frances purring hang in there everyone....and happy Caturday Saturday...purrrrrrrrrr
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I also find humor helps quiet my anxiety. Laughter is the best medicine after all.

Screen Shot 2020-03-14 at 8.02.18 AM.png
 

violet3

Ideal_Rock
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Dec 18, 2007
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3,793
I am so sorry to hear that you struggle with very high levels of anxiety. I think I have started to have back pain in the last week due to stress. Perhaps if I started regularly practicing yoga it could help me.

I definitely think it could! Give it a try! Regular practice has really helped a friend of mine with back issues. It helps for most things, I think :love:
 

PinkAndBlueBling

Brilliant_Rock
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Dec 16, 2017
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Drugs. Seriously.
 

doberman

Ideal_Rock
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Mar 2, 2012
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2,417
I will actually take a low dose of propranolol, which is a beta blocker. It calms my heart down and I feel better. I dont have to do it very frequently, but when I was working and I knew I had a particularly difficult case coming up, it did help. I can't take xanax or any other anti-anxiety drug, they make me feel worse than the anxiety itself lol.
 

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Apr 30, 2005
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33,227
I go to the hills.

e5c08fc3df6a63197231fc3c2ab8dde3.gif
 

Asscherhalo_lover

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
5,703
I cleaned my house. It always makes me feel so much better. Then I rode my bike for an hour, and now I'm drinking a glass of prosecco. I have everything laid out for tomorrow. Soon I'll crawl into bed and rinse and repeat.
 
Joined
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anxiety/panic is a physiological response to a mental factor. One of the worst things you can do when you’re actively hyperventilating because of anxiety is breathe more - you’re actually overoxygenated at that point. Breathing in carbon dioxide (eg breathing in and out into your closed palms, breathing in for fewer counts than breathing out) will actually help stop that “heart attack” feeling. It definitely really helps me.

Talking through my triggers and following the thoughts to their logical conclusion also helps. Grounding myself in the here and now by having someone ask me basic questions about physical phenomena around me. Washing my face with cold water, eating something spicy, anything to cause a break in the cycle of thoughts. These are all things to subside panic to a manageable level of low-level (what I call prickly) anxiety.

Things that help when I’m not actively having an attack: jogging (ideally in a park) - the repetitive motion and ache in the limbs helps calm down my brain, exercise in general actually, meditation, journaling, bubble baths, limiting alcohol, sleep (if I can get good sleep), decaffeinated green tea, controlled exposure to my triggers.

Tbh I’m just used to being anxious. It doesn’t really go away, but actively allowing it, working on it and not avoiding it is the best way to keep it at a low, ignorable level than have it be debilitating.
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jun 8, 2008
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53,984
So one medication I started taking has a side effect of calmness. It gets converted into the liver into a metabolite called allpregnelone which has a calming effect. The med is Progesterone. It works pretty fast and makes me super sleepy. I take it right at bedtime. I am not taking it for its sedating effect but nonetheless it is sedating hence the reason I take it right before I go to sleep. It is a little bit of a miracle drug that way. :) And very helpful to those who don't make enough of it (due to menopause) as those of you who are going through it know that menopause can and usually does effect one's sleep.
 

xjsbellamias13

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
107
I've had a lot of anxiety (mainly health related) ever since I developed fibromyalgia awhile ago. I haven't really found a way to calm the anxiety unfortunately. I had some Xanax awhile ago that helped while it was was working, but of course when that wore off my anxiety came back...

I try to think about whatever is worrying me in a logical manner. My husband helps a lot with that but it doesn't help completely.

Like I said my anxiety mostly stems from health things. I had an eye exam yesterday and they used some eye drops (not to dilate) vs the air puff test, and now I'm just having the worst anxiety that it "messed" my eyes up since they feel a bit dry. Half the time I can't tell if my brain is just creating these sensations or if its real :cry2: I feel for anyone who suffers with anxiety of any kind. It's just the worst!
 
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