Any help for being anxious, but not having anxiety.

[LotusBiscuits]

I’ve worded the title badly.

I don’t suffer from anxiety in the sense that I don’t have a long history of an anxiety disorder that is an on-going mental health concern.

However, I’m very anxious at the moment. I have a lot going on and am very stressed with work, family. I’m not sleeping, generally find it very hard to concentrate, have physical symptoms like a constantly upset stomach.

It’s not nice, but it’s very likely to be temporary. I think everyone goes through periods like this. I’m working on a very stressful project in work that’s due to end soon and that should take a lot of the pressure off.

Does anyone have any help for getting over an anxious period like this? I was thinking of asking my GP for something but I can’t imagine they look at medication for something short term like this.

I’ve been doing meditation, HeadSpace app, baths, walks etc but nothing is shifting it.

I just basically want my brain to not know it’s feeling anxious for a few weeks, until all is back to a more normal level.

It’s worth having a chat to them, I’ve known people be prescribed propranolol just for taking when they get anxious about doing presentations, so there’s no reason why the GP couldn’t prescribe something for you on a ‘as needed’ basis.

Have you tried mindfulness? I have found that very helpful. You can also self refer in lots of areas for.some.cbt talking therapy. Have a look online to see if your area offers it. I have found a number of the techniques I learned in that so helpful years later.
There's a good visualisation where my worries and anxieties are white clouds in a blue sky. I am watching them but not doing anything with or about them. I just watch them move across the sky from one side to the other and out of sight.

Also you can do the the exploding worries technique where you take your anxious thought eg everyone will laugh at me.
And then say OK and then what?
And then you might think well then ill be so embarrassed and upset
OK and then what?
And then ill feel really horrible
OK and then what?
And then I'll probably have a cry
OK and then what?
And then ill eventually stop crying
And then what?
And ill go and have a bath or ring a friend or get a cuddle from my partner.

And then you've sort of worked through your anxious worst case scenario from start to finish and 99% of time once you've done that you can see that actually it will all be OK. Hugs- anxiety is the worst xx

Listen to history (or your choice) of podcasts while going to sleep, on a barely audible level. If you can't sleep you learn something and stop thinking of your own worries...or it sends you to sleep. Also buy How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, by Dale Carnegie. Think its 49p as Kindle download. It's old but it's amazing. I read it twice through while in the state you're in and bought a second hand print copy and underlined relevant passages. It really helped!

Magnesium. Topically, baths footsoaks etc as well as supplemented.
Box breathing.
Anything that stops you ruminating - eg making lists so that you're not constantly remembering.
Walking, swimming, running etc. anything that can help move through the anxiety.

I find that Kalms are helpful during stressful times- they just take the edge off life

You're stressed out, and worried about things. Maybe think of it as that, rather than being anxious. It seems to me that the perception of anxiety is that it is something irrational that 'happens' to you, and is completely outside your control.

Rather than saying you are anxious, if you tell yourself that no wonder you are stressed out and worried, totally understandable in the circumstances, you might not feel so bad about things.

I hope that makes sense.

Thanks everyone. Lots of great advice there.

I’ve tried mindfulness but struggle a bit with it, so will try it again and use an app. Breathing exercises are also a good suggestion.

Feeling a bit better today but that’s because work is a little quieter on Fridays. I’m exhausted though and behind on some stuff that I’m just going to have to accept won’t get done today.