i need a brake from myself, but one cant get away from self...

[panicy potato pasta]

i am driving myself crazy.. there is always something physical or mental that is bothering me..
from head to toes...
my head babbling is sometimes keeping me awake, im having almost constent anxiety right now, even when there is no clear reasoning. im having pain in my neck and go's up to my head.
i am driving myself crazy.
i been getting more head aches sense i started being more active. my eyes are bothering me the last few days, maybe from my computer time?
ear wax problems, always had it but it gets a little painful recently.
chest congestion, harder to breath when standing. chest is sore from this and being active.
my arms are a little stiff.

felt sick to my stomach for a few minutes today.
i been un regular in the bathroom, and it has a yellowish color almost every time.
legs are stiff and bother me at night sometimes.

im near a mental brake down here! any comments would be great

[Elen]

Try looking at some Mindfulness exercises, they are a great way to stop brain chatter and with practice you can force your mind to stop focusing on things you don't want it to.

I like the Headspace App, but there are lots more to choose from.

Also have a look at EFT or tapping, again it is a very useful tool to distract yourself from negative thoughts.

It can be a hard cycle to get out of, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

[panicy potato pasta]

i tried doing Mindfulness exercises, when i was trying to learn about it, there was nearly endless amount of instructions that i really dont think ill remember when im having anxiety.
i never herd of EFT or tapping.

[nomorepanic]

i tried doing Mindfulness exercises, when i was trying to learn about it, there was nearly endless amount of instructions that i really dont think ill remember when im having anxiety.
i never herd of EFT or tapping.


http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/therapy

[panicy potato pasta]

oh cool thanks! its really awesome that the owner of this site is helping me out. :P

[nomorepanic]

oh cool thanks! its really awesome that the owner of this site is helping me out. :P


You are welcome. I love the name by the way :)

[panicy potato pasta]

You are welcome. I love the name by the way :)

thanks!

[Elen]

i tried doing Mindfulness exercises, when i was trying to learn about it, there was nearly endless amount of instructions that i really dont think ill remember when im having anxiety.
i never herd of EFT or tapping.

I have to agree with you re the endless instructions.

Using the Headspace App I found a really easy one that I use to help me go to sleep if my brain is chattering away.

It is a dead simple exercise where you count your breathes. No breathing in for x seconds and out for y.

It really helped me with my sleep issues and I also use it whenever I feel the anxiety rising.

EFT takes a bit of practice as well but it is a great way to ground you.

Keep looking there will be an exercise out there that is just perfect for you.

[watercolors]

I can relate. I have bronchitis right now. My mind is always off in "what if" land. Are you in therapy? on medication? exercise? It isn't easy dealing with anxiety all the time, however, this is our struggle. Knowing this we must, no matter how exhausted we are, make every effort every day to manage our anxiety. I am not lecturing you. I have to give my self this pep talk several times a day and still have not been able to convince myself to exercise. Anyway, this website has been a blessing for me. The support is unbelievable. Don't give up trying to find something to distract you away from your anxious thoughts and feelings.

[MyNameIsTerry]

i tried doing Mindfulness exercises, when i was trying to learn about it, there was nearly endless amount of instructions that i really dont think ill remember when im having anxiety.
i never herd of EFT or tapping.

Yes, there is tons out there these days and it can feel like a wall of text when you are having concentration problems anyway. This is where guided meditations win for me because it's easy to take it in in bite sized chunks and the guide allows for time in between instructions.

Have a look on the thread in my signature for some Mindfulness downloads. See if it's easier that way. It's a skill and takes time to learn to be able to it well but the interesting thing is that it can be rewiring your brain whilst you are learning it without you realising.

To avoid being overwhelmed don't try and do loads of different types. Start with the breathing form which is really where you learn the basics. This is where you learn how to sit with thoughts.

But there are other forms too which help. For instance, this is an early one from professor Mark Williams book that demonstrates how you will be taught to use your senses to ground yourself:


Here is an example starter meditation practice from Professor Mark Williams book:

The Raisin Meditation

1. Holding
Hold it in the palm of your hand or between fingers, etc, approach it like it's the first time you've seen on, consider weight, does it throw a shadow.

2. Seeing
Really see it, use full attention, find it's highlights where the light shines, the darker hollows, folds, ridges.

3. Touching
Explore it, turn it over, feel the texture, how does it feel between thumb & forefinger on the other hand.

4. Smelling
Put it under your nose. With each inbreath consider scent, consider no scent, lit it fill your awareness.

5. Placing
Put it to your mouth noticing how your hand & arm does knows where to go automatically. Place it gently in your mouth, noticing how your tongue receives it. Without chewing, explore the sensations of having on your tongue for 30 seconds or more if you choose.

WARNING: Step 5 not advised with a Rowntrees Fruit Pastel (thats all mine :D)

6. Chewing
Take a conscious bite, notice how it affects the object and your mouth, notice taste, feel the texture whilst biting, chew slowly but don't swallow, noticewhat happens to your mouth.

7. Swallowing
See if you can detect the first intention to swallow as it enters your mind, experiencing it with full awareness before swallowing. Notice what how the tongue prepares it for swallowing. Try to follow the sensations of swallowing it and if you can, consciously sense it as it moves down into your stomach. Repeat if any more in your mouth. After each swallow, notice what your tongue does.

8. After-effects
Register any after-effects, is there any aftertaste, what does does the absence of the raisin feel like, is there an automatic tendency to find another?

Spend 20-30 seconds on each of these steps.

Now spend a few minutes writing down your thoughts.

That can look like quite a lot to take in. But it may just mean it takes a few goes to learn to do it without reading instructions and maybe a few more goes before it becomes intuitive. That's why it's a skill.

Professor Williams makes a point early on in his book - you will get things wrong and make mistakes. That's fine, it's about learning.

I found it great for teaching acceptance. I always struggled to understand how to truly do this, I regard this as a hard area to learn with anxiety as it's so counter intuitive to the fight or flight cycle, but in Mindfulness there is less emphasis on this as it just comes as you practice what they teach you about being a observer of your thoughts. This helped me understand how to do it and what it felt like as opposed to so many people who just say "accept your thoughts" yet seem to fail to walk you through the how part.