How to stop slide into anxiety

[babysnowman]

Every year, around this time the anxiety starts to kick back in and it's like there's a cloud over me until springtime.

I can feel it starting to happen now so am trying to prevent it by:

-taking a daily multi vit
-using a sad lamp every morning
-getting out for a walk with my dog every day

Has anyone got any other suggestions? I'm desperate not to succumb to it this year. I've done a lot of therapy this year which has hopefully set me up well. Used to take sertraline to help but that's not an option atm.

I have anxiety around work and I have to have my own little rituals to keep me calm. I don’t do any mindfulness stuff but I know people who swear by it as it focuses your mind on something other than what’s triggering you.

Meditate. If you can’t do a big long meditatiin, try with smaller ones and build up. Smiling Mind has some good ones, Honest Guys on Youtube or Headspace. Get out for exc as much as possible.

For me it’s - getting out in the fresh air and exercise as much as possible

• book in a few “bigger” treats to look forward to

• have regular “little” treats eg cook something nice, long hot bath, read a good book

St John’s Wort every day from now until March
Yes to little treats
Singing up to a walking challenge to try and encourage more outdoor walks (no dog!)

Give up caffeine, game changer

A flowering plant (e.g. Christmas cacti) or bunch of flowers in the hall to welcome you home.

Make vegetable soup, it's warming and comforting and feels full of goodness.

Have a manicure, being pampered always cheers me up.

Join an indoor exercise class (e.g. swimming, yoga, Tai chi) which the weather can't spoil.

Visit a Christmas market.

5-4-3-2-1 technique or tapping for anxiety. I also use guided meditation to sleep

These are all good ideas, thanks.

@Littlepinkpeg That's interesting about the caffeine, I love my coffee especially the first cup in the morning but maybe it's doing more harm than good.

Thanks for posting OP.
I was just thinking this exact same thing - every year at this time I feel the same. I can’t ever seem to look forward to Christmas without feeling chewed up inside.
Everything seems overwhelming and bleak.
Lots of great tips on here already.
I just struggle with “self care” and just keep ploughing on, so am often my own worst enemy.

Half an hour of cardio exercise every day pushing yourself as hard as possible.
Give up alcohol.
Switch to decaf.
Meet up with your genuine friends at least once a week.

Vit d tablet seems to work for me.

do you enjoy colouring/painting or anything crafty? I like to do those in the evenings when they just seem to drag, and my anxiety starts to kick in. it helps take my mind off anything else as I am just focusing on that, in which time it usually passes quite a bit. I also have some bachs lozenges and a lavender mist spray. I also used to be on sertraline but really keen to not have to go back on it. I kind of think it's inevitable but will hold off as long as I can!

I do like craft type things, I used to love painting when I was younger. Maybe a nice paint by numbers kit for Christmas!

I do spend a lot of time worrying but even when I'm not worrying about anything specific I have a horrible anxious feeling, especially when I first wake up.

Some good advice on this thread:

• lots of fruit & veg
• no/minimal booze
• good sleep routine
• agree on the regular (weekly) treats & seeing your real friends

cut out as much negative crap from your life as you can (fake friends/drama queens/work aggo etc)

I highly recommend running - just the couch to 5K app. Get out and do it and it is brilliant. You can repeat it and the voiceover is like having a coach.

I find that reducing my time on the internet/on my phone helps me.

I check my work emails too often and on my days off.

When I am anxious, even a simple WhatsApp can tip me into feeling panicky, so it’s much better to switch it off at about 7pm.

It has improved my sleep but I am often curious and check!

It's great you've noticed the tendency, OP. And some good advice on this thread.

Re morning anxiety - our natural daily rhythm gives us a surge of hormones that helps us wake up - cortisol/adrenaline. I think if we're used to 'running hot' this can be even more noticeable.

Beyond all the really good advice for self care and health and lifestyle points (I'd suggest vitamin B, maybe magnesium, and maybe iron as well as Vit D) I wonder if it's worth sitting a bit with the feelings?

I recognise the downturn feeling you describe. Is it maybe at least in part a natural and normal response to the seasonal change?

I wonder if just more closely observing the change in pace, scene, feel and mood of the seasons might help?

Noticing the slowing and darkening. Knowing that there's nothing to fear in this change of pace. Finding ways to acknowledge and become less anxious about this different season.

Tradtitionally, we mark it by observing, and maybe some ritual to counteract the parts we find hard would be useful? Fairy lights, evergreen plants/trees, roots, preserves. Thinking of hibernation, more sleep, withdrawal, reflection, cosiness, stillness.

I like knitting, felting, reading, maybe preparing some bulbs, planting seeds, or clearing ground. Gardening is always a great way to ground and calm, and there's lots to be done in winter.

Cold water swimming is great, but I appreciate not for everyone! Lighting fires, writing cards, reading/writing poetry, pets, volunteering ... loads of things we can do that I think are comforting and nourishing and help us to appreciate the season.

Even when I'm not worrying about anything specific I have a horrible anxious feeling, especially when I first wake up.

Yes, I get kind of non-specific anxiety when I wake up. I think eating helps so I try to make sure I get something good for breakfast (I like peanut butter and banana on toast - plenty of good calories/energy).

I had a horrible bout of depression and anxiety last winter which peaked in a mini-breakdown around Christmas. I’m now taking anti-depressants which were a game changer, but other things that help are:

-cut out caffeine completely
-cut down alcohol significantly (1-2 glasses a wine a week)
-eat well, including regular healthy snacks to keep my energy levels even
-Unfortunately due to a health condition I can’t do as much exercise as I used to but I try to do walks and gentle yoga.
-prioritise sleep

Oh and I find routine is good - I often find working days easier than weekends as the forced routine of taking kids to school, meetings etc helps keep me on an even keel.

I’ve recently been diagnosed with low vitamin D levels so I now take extra vitamin D. This is on top of the normal multivitamins I’ve been taking for 15 years.

The difference in my energy levels is amazing and when I’m less tired, my anxiety improves.

I really recognise that morning feeling - it’s like waking with a shock and then like someone is sitting on your chest. Ugh. I hate it. I am trying to sit with the feelings too. It still feels like a bit of a grind getting through the days though.
One step at a time - we’ll get there.

Really sorry that so many others feel the same but it helps to know I am not alone!

Kalms tablets help me. Swimming and Chamomile tea in the evening.

@babysnowman

These are all good ideas, thanks.

@Littlepinkpeg That's interesting about the caffeine, I love my coffee especially the first cup in the morning but maybe it's doing more harm than good.

There are loads of threads on here about the effects of caffeine in anxiety (and elsewhere) I gave up with no problems and would never go back, the difference is amazing. Hope you're ok

Yes. I cut down on caffeine (I mix decaf into my normal coffee and I don’t event notice). I meditate using the Calm app, i develop mantras and mindfulness devices that work to stop my anxiety in its tracks:

• noticing e.g. “that’s interesting that I am still worrying about xx” or
• working on a bodily level “I can feel my chest is tight and my heart is beating hard..: how can I address that”
• mantras: “worrying about this won’t fix it.” Or, “this isn’t really a problem, it’s just my mind trying to make it a problem”
• the surroundings to interrupt panicked thoughts “green trees, black bird, grey sky” etc

Yoga - is good for the morning when you feel panicky when you get up, as is cardio… running or other sport really releases me of anxiety and fills me with endorphins.

Writing down what is stressing me and then underlining the things that I can actually solve and the putting the others to bed / in the bin / in a fire! Etc

Distraction! My most used technique, I use comedy - watch my favourite comedy series, don’t watch the news or read the news or watch anything sad!

Thanks everyone, there's some really great practical advice here. Some of the mantras make me feel calm just reading them.

I read up a lot about caffeine yesterday so am definitely going to cut that out, will cut down the number of cups today and go decaf tomorrow. I also noticed I didn't feel so bad this morning and I think it's because I didn't have a glass of wine last night. So it's maybe time to accept that some of the little treats I enjoy are just not worth it. Far better to wake up without the tight feeling in my chest.