How do you cope?

[ZebraStripes]

How does everyone cope with general anxiety?

Im having one of those days where I just feel flat out twitchy (I've had coffee the last few days which I usually avoid which I think has made things worse!)

I'm not feeling anxious about anything specific, just everything that pops into my head today my brain finds something to latch on and worry about...!

I'm trying to have a 'relax day' and failing as I can't stop stressing that I'm wasting my day by doing nothing productive, but I have no projects to currently work on (I craft to earn some pennies as I left my job last year when I was diagnosed with cancer and my old boss decided to confront me about lying about it... not being good with confrontation and being livid at the accusation I left pretty promptly.)

This has left me with a lot of free time to worry, I'm not ready to work again yet (and not claiming any benefits before thats mentioned, I hate the idea that people might think I'm scrounging while I'm off work...) and I'm just a worry machine at the moment.

How do you all cope with days like this?

[Kayleigh100]

I break the day down into smaller chunks.

How small depends on what works for my anxiety levels at that time. Anything from 10 minutes upwards! I just concentrate on that ten minutes and what I am going to do (or not do). If that's too short, make the time longer.

Any worries that crop up, write them down, then forget about them. Allocate one of the time slots during the day to read them, worry and try and find solutions. Once that time slot is up, put the paper down and don't think about it until the next day at the worry time slot. Any worries pop up before then, write them on the paper and move on.

It all sounds a bit ridiculous when you read what I do, but it works.

Currently I have one half hour worry time a day and I think about getting through a few days at a time. But I have had to have times as short as ten minutes at my worst.

[xrachykinsx]

I sometimes give myself a good talking to when I find myself wandering.....and I get up and do a task that needs doing, or I watch something on the tv that interests me. It's hard some mornings... real tough because it's when my mind really wanders if it's going to xx

[ZebraStripes]

Thank you for the tips, Xrachykinsx I give myself a talking to and sometimes it does help, other times you just get too caught up in the worry don't you. Its a pain...!

Kayleigh100 thats a really good idea (breaking the day down into chunks) I'm going to give that a try I don't know if I'd be able to train my brain to have specific time slots for worry but I will give that a go too.

[xrachykinsx]

I'm the same...logically I like the idea of setting myself a time of the day to worry..but i'll still end up worrying constantly regardless. Yes the giving yourself a good talking to isn't always sucessful! lol The forcing myself to get up and do things works better...or going out, seeing friends, family all help x

[MyNameIsTerry]

I can't do a worry period either, I like the idea but my subconscious doesn't! IF you can do it or train yourself to, an hour a day is far more manageable than the whole day with anxiety.

I think the idea of writing would be good for you because you mention you are a creative type.

How about reading? Fiction or maybe to broaden your horizons?

I would also recommend exercise to help regulate your hormones and get better sleep.

Mindfulness meditation is very good for breaking negative patterns of thought and getting control of thoughts back again. This might appeal to you anyway with be a creative person. It takes time to learn, but it's at least relaxing in the beginnning. It's certainly helped me more than anything else with my OCD.

[ZebraStripes]

I get out when I can (usually to walk the dog as I'm in that stage of life where my circle of friends and my family are all going through critical life points... marriage, pregnancy etc...and I tend to feel I'm bothering them.)

I do actually have a blog, and I do a fair amount of creative writing :) I also love to read but the day I posted the initial message on this board I couldn't get my brain to settle on it.

I like the idea of meditation but struggle so badly to 'turn off' that I usually just end up getting frustrated with it or falling asleep!

Exercise is frustratingly difficult too as I've been left with pain in my legs after my last surgery, I can exercise gently but not enough to tire me out which really irritates me as I just want to get back to normal in that respect (i used to love the gym!)

[RichieSwansea_1985]

Exercise / Read something positive / Cook-Eat / Play games on my phone

if that fails, ride it out

[SarahH]

Mindfulness/read/good film/walking...distraction is the key

sarah

[MyNameIsTerry]

It takes time to learn Mindfulness meditation and at first it really is more a relaxation technique but over time it can change you without you realising, it did me.

How about taking a different Mindfulness approach? It doesn't have to be static or a routine with your eyes closed.

Look at this thread. I posted the first exercise from Mark Williams MBCT book, Mindful eating.

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=152764&page=2

I'm sure there are books for how to be mindful in a non meditative state. This is something I'm looking for as well.

Being a creative person, you may find ideas appear when meditating do it seems right up your street and CBT therapists recommend it for anxiety & depression.

Tai Chi and QiGong are movement based forms of meditation, how about them? QiGong is easier to learn of the two.

[Cheesemonster13]

I'm not coping very well at the moment. "Relax days" are the hardest as, like you say, you have time to worry.

At the moment, I'm experimenting with breaking the day up into intervals. I try to have periods where I'm doing something I can really focus on, and then I'll have a couple of intervals during the day where I'll allow my negative feelings to sweep over me. When the latter is happening, I write down what I'm feeling and thinking, and try to work out what the trigger is, and any possible remedies for what is worrying me. Then when the time is up, I do something that I have to focus on again.

The ""anxiety periods" allow me to practice experiencing negative feelings without trying to suppress them, while also ensuring that I "listen" to what body is really telling me. Most of the rest of the time is spent doing things that I either enjoy (reading novels, walking, gardening, etc), require concentration to help me practice (reading non-fiction and making notes, or writing) or chores at home.

Basically I'm trying to change my coping behaviour so that I can manage my extreme reactions to the symptoms of anxiety in a useful way. It means that I'm balancing the need to think and feel (in a productive way) with the need to switch off from it.

[ZebraStripes]

Thank you Terry, I'm going to look into QiGong and Tai Chi I think, I'd not considered things like that before but it seems like something that would benefit me if I tried it :)

Cheesemonster13 I like the idea of writing down and analysing, I think Ill give that a go too.

[Kayleigh100]

When I was at my worst I found Tai Chi music and meditation really useful at bedtime. I would have probably been on a get through the next half hour regime at the time and that time in bed, before I fell asleep was one of the most difficult. These meditiations filled a gap. I downloaded a few from iTunes, cost about a fiver.

Some I found a bit silly (I am naturally not really into the spiritual) but others, where the spiritual side was toned down a bit and it was more relaxation techniques, worked well. for me. By the end I was definitely more tired and relaxed than I was at the start - and I had got through another 30 minutes!

I can understand why worry time doesn't work for everyone. What is important though is to try different techniques and find one that works for you because constant worrying is exhausted and life sapping. It doesn't always work for me either.

I have also realised that this probably isn't ever going to go away completely. It is the way I am made. Have to find coping strategies as a long term solution.

[MyNameIsTerry]

ZS, Mindfulness can be applied to pretty much anything. Did you see the raisin exercise that came from the MBCT book? A quick Google shows Mindfulness combined with Art, so maybe you could incorporate it into all the crafting you are doing? I think it would fit very well into craft work because it's all about touch, taste, smell, etc.