Increase in anxiety/panic, when I try to relax!

[LittleLionMan]

Have a coffee and some lunch and go on a Villa forum and discuss Grealish's chances of playing for England under Southgate?

I've just forced lunch down me, and am now back at my desk.
Have some horses running in a minute, so hoping that between the work and the ponies, it distracts me a bit. I think I just need to accept that I'm rough today for whatever reason and give myself a break, easier said though.

[LittleLionMan]

Breathing exercises are great, I've found, or the five senses exercise where you acknowledge five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can feel, two you can smell and one you can taste.

My other go-to for grounding is simply burning incense.

I love incense, that might be a good idea, thanks!

[LittleLionMan]

Agreed with my psychologist that I am really going to start pushing this weekend. I have a stressful job to do anyway, and I'm between them things, I am going to try and get involved in life, and try things I know scare me, rather than ruminating and driving myself mad, then when she comes here on Tuesday, she wants to go for a drive.

Scared, as I've been awful the last few days, and especially today so far, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

[pulisa]

It's the only way, Phil. You need a practical plan of action. I'm glad your psychologist is encouraging you to push out of your comfort zone. It's progress as opposed to avoidance. I'm a great avoider so you're stronger than me.

[LittleLionMan]

It's the only way, Phil. You need a practical plan of action. I'm glad your psychologist is encouraging you to push out of your comfort zone. It's progress as opposed to avoidance. I'm a great avoider so you're stronger than me.

I'm going to try anyway, terrified but determined.
As my problem is currently more an intrusive thought / ruminating about the state I'm in / trying to figure out what's wrong with me, thing, I feel just as bad lying in bed trying to watch TV (like now) than I did an hour ago socialising and eating Chinese food, so I need to spend more time out of my own head.
Will be interesting to see how it goes.

[pulisa]

You very much need to spend more time out of your own head and would do if you expanded your so-called comfort zone which isn't too comforting at the moment.

[LittleLionMan]

You very much need to spend more time out of your own head and would do if you expanded your so-called comfort zone which isn't too comforting at the moment.

The hard bit is going to be trying to dismiss the anxious thoughts without getting into an argument and overthinking them. I've woken up awful, but have an internal audit to write... the fun starts now!

[LittleLionMan]

It's not going well, I've pushed and pushed, and instead of getting panicked, I have a really intense nothingness in my head, it feels like I'm depressed and can't think or see how I can carry on. It's horrible.

[LittleLionMan]

I did a couple of hours work, had lunch, spent 3 hours with friends, got all muddled and confused, that intense can't cope nothingness, and now I'm curled up in a ball nearly in tears trying to get myself going again; what is going on with me!?

[LittleLionMan]

Is it normal to be spaced out, to the point of not really knowing where / who you are after pushing yourself? There was no real panic, I just drifted into this confused sense of derealisation.