Managing my Anxiety!

[Carnation]

Ok. I used to be a Manager and it's now time to manage the Anxiety!
I peaked six months ago and recovered to almost normality. Now I have relapsed and I am gutted. So, I have decided to put my Managerial skills into managing my Anxiety.
First of all, I need to get a filing system for the problems, phobias, stresses, symptoms and causes. This I am going to put in to a book not a cabinet. Stuff that is beyond my control will be filed at the back.
I am going to monitor myself, try experiments and manage my day by achievements of my daily routine and responses to my problems areas.
I am going to structure my day so there is work, exercise, relaxation and rest and playtime.
The problems and stresses that hang over me are going to be logged and I am going to deal with them a little at a time and take them away from my thinking brain and file them until I can deal with them. Prioritizing them.
I am going to award myself with a treat for any achievements. :)

[Sunflower2]

That sounds like a good plan! I might also follow it :) I have achieved something today. I ate all 2000 calories that I was meant to according to my app. Which I haven't done in weeks so yay!
Still got a lot of worries including really scary ones but I cannot do anything about them until next week so I am developing my social life. Positive steps in the face of adversity!

[bchrismar]

Sounds like a nice plan. I would suggest not over-monitoring yourself as in symptoms and feelings, but definitely working in time for rest and self-respect. (i.e. Giving the body/mind what it needs.) We are all over sensitized and our bodies need time to calm.

[Carnation]

Kimberley, that's Brilliant. Wow! 2000 calories. Let's stay positive. :)

Bchrismar, I agree with that, you can become obsessed with the monitoring bit, and I am a great believer in The Mind/Body Spirit thing. I'm trying to get a balance and get them to work together and not against each other. :)

[MyNameIsTerry]

As one former manager to another, you may find your 360 degree feedback will go around in circles :roflmao:

Have a look at this link http://psychology.tools/download-therapy-worksheets.html.

There are some tools on there that will help you do some of this e.g. hypothesis A & B, behavioural experiment planner, CBT daily diaries, etc. These will help you structure your days and plan in some things with sections which allow you to monitor how they work for you.

From a business point of view, all the filing side is something I used to do quite a lot of as I was in the continious improvement & project management side. If we had a business problem we would start with basics such as brown paper on walls and post-it notes to knock up a load of elements, group them into affinities and then come up with strategies for each affinity or element. Anything beyond your control is environmental really so that could be one affinity and you tackle that last or come up with a different strategy to manage it, undermine it, etc which might require a more passive strategy e.g. acceptance or the more powerful Mindfulness.

I think there are some reward templates on there too that you can use.

[Carnation]

Thanks Terry, that is really useful to me. I was more of Shop floor Manager and Admin was not my best qualities. Although I did it, I hated it. But, I can organize, so that is what I am aiming to do. I'm not going to make my Life regimented, but since I have put the problems/worries in to my book, it has definitely helped my Mind to stop thinking about them. I need to change my Life. Get more Social! Actually I need to get a Life. I've been stuck in a rut for so long and have not been achieving anything of late. Thanks for taking the time to help. :)
P.s. I was reading another thread and I am totally with you on the 'Angelina Jolie' thing. :D