How do you manage mild anxiety.

[CapitanSandy]

Hi everyone, I’m a regular user but have name changed for this.

I’ve been feeling increasingly anxious over the last 18 months ish. I’ve been anxious before and had CBT for it a few years ago
The last year definitely hasn’t helped. I’ve been shielding so I’ve not been out much at all.Like all of us life hasn’t felt normal for ages I worry quite a lot and feel the physical symptoms of anxiety often.

My worries can be lots of different things and I feel anxious about feeling anxious!

The main symptoms I have are fast heart rate, churning stomach and feeling like my breathing is a bit off. When I was anxious before it didn’t affect my breathing so it’s a new sensation.

A lot of my anxiety is around social things and work. I wasn’t socially anxious before this last year but I’m more of an introvert. I feel all my confidence has completely gone over the last couple of years. This is my first job so I’m not sure what is normal work stress versus anxiety.

I had shingles a couple of weeks from getting run down and stressed.

I have some annual leave soon so I want to use it to get myself feeling better and hopefully reduce the anxiety a bit.

How do you manage your anxiety? What do you do? Are there coping strategies or things that help you?

The only thing that is out of the question is intense exercise as I’m a wheelchair user.

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Hopeful bump

I'm place marking as my own anxiety is getting worse and I had a real wobble in the supermarket today too.
I am often paranoid that I've left the handbrake off the car or it has rolled away whilst I'm in the shop. It didn't help that a customer announcement came over the tannoy today about a car and I was convinced they were going to read out my own car reg ! They didn't , but it set me back going round and I couldn't wait to get back to the car to see it was ok.
I'm such a worrier and I end up in a right state over things I know are ok really. I get shaky , hot and can't concentrate on anything.
I blame the menopause and lockdown for a lot of it!
I've always been a worrier though.

Hello,
I’ve found DBT very helpful for managing my mental health. It’s pretty different from CBT despite the similar names!
Mindfulness is quite useful for anxiety. I think it helps to train yourself to be able to focus on particulars things eg breathing, to use that as a tool when you are becoming stressed. Another important thing is to recognise the physical symptoms of emotions, which it sounds like you do, but then to think about what emotion you’re feeling and why. Therapists have said things like all emotions are understandable, because we all have different experiences that mean we have different responses to situations, but sometimes the emotion is not actually justified, or the intensity and duration of the emotion might not be justified (eg if you’re still angry about someone cutting across you in traffic a day later).
I hope that’s not too random and is at all useful! Good luck with your search and with your anxiety.

I find mindfulness quite useful to help reduce my catastrophising about the future. Also imagining that all my worries actually belonged to a friend and mentally role playing what advice I'd give to them.
There is also finding ways to get rid of all the excess adrenaline generated by getting anxious and panicky. Sometimes I use exercise, sometimes video games. It can take me days to fully calm down from a really anxious spell though.
It's crappy being anxious . We're trying to move house at the moment and my anxiety is quite bad at times. I've never been to the gp though.

Mixture of cbt and trying to get to the root cause of my anxiety. For me I think it stems from imposter syndrome and my anxiety manifests as avoidance and a feeling of not worthy. I've learned that confidence is like a muscle that I have to strengthen and taking risks is how I can progress. It takes a lot of work but I'm getting better at it. Running has also helped me immensely to try and get rid of my anxiety energy.

Hi
A very simple technique that you can do anywhere and really helps me is:
Breathe in for four seconds.
Hold for four seconds.
Breathe out for four seconds.
Hold for four seconds.

It really helps to ground me, you can do it anywhere.

Also this quote:
A thought is just a thought. It's not really happening- it's just a thought.

I'm paraphrasing but I hope you get me!
I'm in bed most of the evening with a rotten headache- definitely from stress as today was challenging. Be kind to yourself.
Talk to your GP.
Don't rule out a therapist.
One day at a time, and sometimes one hour at a time is all we can do, and that's ok.

@CapitanSandy

Hi everyone, I’m a regular user but have name changed for this.

I’ve been feeling increasingly anxious over the last 18 months ish. I’ve been anxious before and had CBT for it a few years ago
The last year definitely hasn’t helped. I’ve been shielding so I’ve not been out much at all.Like all of us life hasn’t felt normal for ages I worry quite a lot and feel the physical symptoms of anxiety often.

My worries can be lots of different things and I feel anxious about feeling anxious!

The main symptoms I have are fast heart rate, churning stomach and feeling like my breathing is a bit off. When I was anxious before it didn’t affect my breathing so it’s a new sensation.

A lot of my anxiety is around social things and work. I wasn’t socially anxious before this last year but I’m more of an introvert. I feel all my confidence has completely gone over the last couple of years. This is my first job so I’m not sure what is normal work stress versus anxiety.

I had shingles a couple of weeks from getting run down and stressed.

I have some annual leave soon so I want to use it to get myself feeling better and hopefully reduce the anxiety a bit.

How do you manage your anxiety? What do you do? Are there coping strategies or things that help you?

The only thing that is out of the question is intense exercise as I’m a wheelchair user.

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Shingles are awful, hugs op.

When not crazy busy I have found journalling at the end of the day helpful.

Also the good old making a list of all the things worrying you and going through them to decide whether its in your control to do something about and what, or work on accepting.

Thank you so much for the kind replies. I was nervous about posting because I know there are people who have been through absolute hell this year.

Sorry to hear others have been feeling anxious it is shit. I know I’d enjoy life much more if I was a calm person. I actually think my life could have been so different but that’s another story.

Sorry if this is a stupid question but how do you start with mindfulness? I’ve done a couple of meditation classes a few years ago but never got into it. Is mindfulness similar to meditation?

@CapitanSandy

Thank you so much for the kind replies. I was nervous about posting because I know there are people who have been through absolute hell this year.

Sorry to hear others have been feeling anxious it is shit. I know I’d enjoy life much more if I was a calm person. I actually think my life could have been so different but that’s another story.

Sorry if this is a stupid question but how do you start with mindfulness? I’ve done a couple of meditation classes a few years ago but never got into it. Is mindfulness similar to meditation?

50mg of sertraline. Amazing stuff.

I've been taking Kalms for a few weeks now and they've been very helpful. I feel like myself for the first time in ages.

Mindfulness can be all sorts of things really, well that's what it means to me. It can be meditation there's lots of podcasts and YouTube videos that search for for help. Or it can be reading a book or goings for a long walk. It's more of a mindset that you work on but you can do it in many different ways. Try all sorts, you might not like some but you might find yourself enjoying more.

I was taught many years ago by a great friend to "run my energy" and Clear and align my chakras.
Sounds a bit out there but it is great to make me relax. I got out of the habit for years and had shingles twice with family deaths and stress. Once I talked to myself and got back to looking after myself and running my energy I felt much better again.

If all else fails, Bachs rescue remedy is great.

Thank you for the taking time to suggest things. I’ll definitely check them out. I’m not great at switching off and spend pretty much all day on my computer for work then when I’m not working I’m just mindlessly scrolling on my phone or watching tv. So it would be nice to get into more relaxing things.

I’m not sure if it’s an anxiety thing but does anyone else not do things they know would help them in the long run? I need to improve my diet, drink more water etc but I never do it. I get on my own nerves!

Like notanotherhun I take 50mg sertraline.

My MIL is a trained counsellor and is constantly suggesting talking therapy, I'm sure she right really.

Honestly though, the meds make it so I don't need to do square breathing, or mindfulness, or run five miles, or see professionals, to get through the day. And I'm ok with that.

Beta blockers or strength training (or other exercise). One or the other.

One makes you more comfortable to continue with your life. The other makes you change the diet/hydration areas of your life alongside it.

When I started taking vitamin D regularly my anxiety got better :) x

Vitamin supplements
Good sleep routine, nothing provoking before bed, screens etc.
I use a meditation app (Headspace but there are loads) which has really helped me to stop ruminating and catastrophising
Getting out of the house every day to a green space of some kind
Not eating sugary foods when I feel stressed as these give me too much anxious energy
I go to therapy when I need it, if there's something really big going on (have had illness, money troubles, legal troubles you name it in the last few years!)

Vitamin D3 and magnesium supplements
Enough sleep
Minimal processed sugar or booze
Healthy(ish) diet
HRT (am old)
5-10mg Citalopram daily
Getting outside in fresh air
Chatting to friends

A few of those are quite boring to do (I love cake and wine) but it's how I stay functioning effectively. I hope you can get on top of your anxiety soon - it sucks I know. Sending 🌷🌷

Anxiety and excitement can have similar symptoms. So, when I'm feeling those symptoms that you describe, I tell myself that I am so excited! Over and over. It's mind control. And the thought that it's excitement, not fear, cools me down a bit. You have to train yourself to believe it though.

Hi OP

I don't know much about it but have been listening to 'midlife' type podcasts for the last few months. And something which has come up a few times is that one of the first and rarely connected symptoms of peri menopause is anxiety.

Mild anxiety is something I've noticed for the last few years (wakening daily with a stomach in knots) but only now thinking peri menopause might be the reason. I've started taking magnesium and Omega-3 supplement like someone mentioned above and have noticed a big difference.

Best wishes

50mg of Sertraline.

OP, how old are you? It could be menopause related - HRT has literally transformed my life.

I also use a mindfulness app called Headspace.

I still have mild anxiety and insomnia, which is triggered by work and travel, but I'm getting better at managing it.

I also take magnesium and Vitamin D. Had a bad week last week and it's so tempting to ask the doc for a prescription for meds ...

My therapist gave me a possibly odd route into mindfulness- I was very skeptical and thought it sounded airy fairy. Basically she told me to get a drink I liked, eg tea or whatever, and sit outside in the sun and just enjoy the drink and the sunshine and try to focus on what I felt with all my senses- and to put away intrusive thoughts by saying I can deal with those later. I practiced with Diet Coke and loved it! It basically felt like a treat and a break. In my group therapy there will be exercises like look around the room and find every circular object with your eyes, or switch from observing your surroundings with your eyes ... and then your ears... and back.
It’s basically like brain training, to train your mind to be able to focus on small things, as then you’ll find yourself more able to concentrate in general and also better at stopping the washing machine cycle of worry thoughts.
Hope that makes some sense.
Also, in DBT there’s a big focus on improving your general well being by increasing pleasurable activities- I can’t remember the proper term for it. But the reasoning is that you’ll be more emotionally resilient if you are experiencing more happy and relaxing times. Good things are reading, knitting, walking, drawing, even films (my therapist encouraged my period drama obsession at a dark point for me). I’ve found it makes a real difference actively putting my phone away for periods of time, so I focus on the tv show/my book.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice. I’m 29
so hopefully not heading into the menopause yet. I do notice that the anxiety gets worse the week before my period though.
I did actually contact a counsellor about sessions to see if that would help but I chickened out and cancelled.