What do you do that helps?

[Insomniac]

Hi everyone,

I am trying to do things which help me feel positive.

- I had a birthday card with the word HAPPY in big 3D letters, and it sits in the corner of the mirror downstairs to remind me.

- I had a really nice thank you note from the teacher I work with and that is stuck on my mirror in the bedroom. (A good start to my day if I'm wondering what to wear or not feeling to good, it reminds me that I am valued).

- I also try to think of achievements... like going round the supermarket on my own, or sitting in the middle of the waiting room at the doctors (by choice) instead of sitting by the wall, without feeling anxious... and appreciating those achievements!

- Allowing myself time off from being Mum without feeling guilty about it (well not too guilty!).

What do you do that helps?



Lisa.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

[poppy]

Hi,
I do the same. I try to focus on the progress i have made.

If i get a troublesome thought in my head i just try and challenge it with a more positive one. Another thing i do is if i am feeling the 'symptoms' i just tell myself that no matter how bad they get i am safe and nothing worse will happen. This helps because its so easy to get on the downward spiral of thinging the symptoms will make you collapse, go mad etc...
Not too easy though!

Take Care
Poppy

[mooks]

LIsa
Have you read Clare Weeks? I only mention it (its recommended a great deal on this site)..Ive just started reading it and its really amazing. It kind of says ok think positive but really you need to re-train your thoughts...If you have'nt read it I would really recommend it.....I had real problems with this think positive thing..impossible when your caught in a negative cycle...but Ive realised that I have to 'reprogramme my head' to a completely new way of thinking ..sounds crazy but very true...learning it at CBT which I would also recommend
sarah x

[taffysteve]

Hi Mooks - glad you are finding Dr Weekes useful - It's like my bible at the moment.

I keep a journal myself - and write down how my day has gone. At the start of every day, I write "Today was a ?" and insert a score out of ten. It helps me keep perspective on the day. It would be very easy to write today was a 1 all the time but if I'm honest with myself, some of my off days are worse than others.

A new idea that came to me during this current spell of 'setback' is that when I next am feeling good, I will write a letter to myself for if or when I next get a setback, telling myself all about how I feel at the time. Sounds a bit mad, but when I try to think now about how I felt when I last felt good, it seems like a distant memory. I want something that will keep things as fresh as possible in my mind.

Steve

***Fall down 7 times - stand up 8 times***

[Insomniac]

hi poppy, mooks, and taffysteve.

Thanks for your replies. Its just good to be able to share ideas. Maybe some of the things I do might inspire others, as your ideas for for me. I have heard a lot about Clare Weeks. Some good and some not-so-good lol. My mind is open though, and its certainly on my reading list.

Thanks again. [^]



Lisa.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

[Eveline]

Every day I take vitamin B complex, Omega 3, and for the last 4 days I've been taking Kalms tablets by Lanes, 3 x2 a day.

When I start feeling panicky, I take Rescue Remedy drops, I do EFT tapping, try to keep my breathing down, try to take my mind off it by reading, watching tv, going online, talking to people (usually without telling them 'I'm having a panic attack'), I keep an art journal in which I paint and colour and make collages.. I also burn incense, try to get fresh air if it gets really bad, have or take something cold, like a cold drink, ice lolly, ice cube, run cold water over wrists... I also read and write 'Dear Me' notes, notes I've written to myself to motive myself to get over these attacks, I tell myself I can do it, I've done it before so why not now etc. I also keep track of my panick attacks in a journal, I give them an 1-10, 1 being minor and 10 being extreme.

It all helps....!

[tuppenybun]

Hi

I find that repeating positive affirmations out loud helps (if I'm alone or with friends of course otherwise I reapeat them under my breath)

My favourite is;- CALM, HAPPY, CONFIDENT AND SERENE

I also find that if I am spiralling into panic, tapping on accupressure points (abover the eye, under the eye, on the collar bone, on the ribs, on the outside of the wrist and the back of the hand) as per Paul McKenna, over and over whilst making the affirmation really can head off a full blown attack.

Hope it helps some of you

Tup x

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could...

[Gribbley]

I too am trying the "positive thoughts" stuff learnt at my CBT workshops - useful in identifying those 'negative' or 'trigger' thoughts and challenging them.

I find that controlled breathing helps me the most when I am suddenly faced with onset of anxiety/panic symptoms, although sometimes just trying to concentrate on identifying (and challenging) what it was that set me off seems to help distract me.

I have the Clare Weeks book on order from Amazon, awaiting delivery with bated breath!



"Some days I wonder why I bother chewing through the leather straps."

[darkangel]

I try to live in the moment.

Accept each feeling and sensation and dont analyse it too much.

Know that I don't need to be "perfect" to be accepted.



........life is for living not just for surviving

[Insomniac]

Hi Eveline, Tup, Gribbley, Darkangel

Eveline, my sister swears by Kalms, she doesn't have PAs but takes them when stressed. I've just started taking B6 prescribed by GP as she couldn't prescribe primrose oil and I get anxiety more instead of PMS!

Accepting that we aren't perfect and that no-one else is either is a great thing to do, but sometimes hard. I have to remind myself of that one!

Thanks for replies, its good to share ideas and get inspiration on other things to try too.
[8D]



Lisa.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.