Anxiety tips. Posting here for traffic.

[Kaypee28]

Can anyone share their tips for anxiety?

I'm currently on cilatopram (uncorrect spelling) have just invested in a weighted blanket. Love it. Have a salt lamp, plants, a essential oil thingy & a CD player that plays relaxing music in my room. It all works great.

Is there anything else I'm missing? What helps everyone threw the day?

Therapy.

CBT

Setraline

Fresh air every day, as much as possible and sun (when it ever comes out). Exercise especially walking and yoga. Meditation I'm still getting the hang of but it can be really good when it works. When I'm really struggling, super loud 90s music and dancing round the living room with the kids like a crazy person will usually snap me out of it at least for a while.

@caulkheaded I'm on the waiting list for therapy. Taking ages 🙄

@Pinkflipflop85 what's that? The oil? Or the therapy?

@Pinkflipflop85 oh ignore me I got confused there 😂 I've tried CBT before but they were making me pick a reason for my anxiety to talk about and I have too many reasons or sometimes none at all so I didn't find that helpful.

Break down tasks into small steps and give yourself permission to just do one step & stop. Schedule in doing more things just for enjoyment rather than duty.

this free app for anxiety is quite helpful (from the University Bristol)

sam-app.org.uk/

The headspace app is good. Costs £10 per month.

Exercise

Fresh air

Walking

Cleaning

Valerian.

OP does the weighted blanket really help? I've been contemplating getting one. I have awful anxiety, worse the past few years. I try to close my eyes and just try to breathe slowly. Sounds quite simple, but can really help me. A relaxing bubble bath helps too oh and short funny stand up comedy clips on Facebook/youtube can help lift your mood.

Eft and making lists

Weirdly giving myself permission to not do something, much of CBT (nhs course was poor standard & made me worse) was about staying in the uncomfortable situation until the anxiety/panic passes but I found trying to force myself to tackle things was having a negative effect and the anxiety was heightened for days after a panic attack rather than feeling any benefit.

It also led to me feeling like I had a war going on in my head and logic always loses against that Anxious protection system (gut feeling), who'd become my enemy. I felt like a failure if I didn't try fight my anxiety and do the steps being asked.

My counselor gave me the permission I needed to accept this method wasn't right for me & give a little understanding to my protection system (which i now distrusted & blamed) who was actually trying really hard to keep me safe & had in the past worked well for me. So i stopped forcing myself to do stuff (which was hard) and acknowledged the anxious thoughts instead of trying to shut them up which seemed to avoid getting to the fog horn warning/panic level. I'm not anxiety free but I trust myself again fully.

That's not to say I'm not trying or putting myself anxiety raising situations more that I try to allow myself to tackle things when I feel ready and set up for success not failure.
Being tired and not having the mental energy makes feelings of anxiety more likely & not having the resources to deal with it. Its important to look after yourself and find ways to give your mind a break.

One thing I did like on CBT course was to analyse the anxious, negative thoughts. Putting them down on paper and then looking at how likely/true this concern was, as then it gave logical side a chance to deal with the thought and stop rumination.

My anxiety was so bad this time last year that I was so suicidal, I take fluoxetine and venlafaxine and find they’ve really stabilised my anxiety. I have diazapam for days when it gets really bad but for the most part I do think without medication I wouldn’t cope! I’ve been contemplating a weighted blanket though so it’s good to hear they are helpful! Where did you get yours from? X

I suffer from OCD and have done for years without really knowing what it was making me think thinks I didnt want too and had no control over.

Now I know that when it does happen I dont feel anxious because I know it's my mind playing games with me and I'm in charge not it.

Talking helps as well tell everyone who will listen what is going on in your head.

Meditation. A walk in the fresh air every day. No social media. Time with friends and family.

Exercise.

Also, looking the anxiety right in the eye. So thinking about each trigger in turn and really examining what the absolute worst thing that could happen is, how likely that actually is and how you'd deal with it. Most worries don't stand up to a spotlight.

@Holdencaulfieldshomeboy yes I do think the weighted blanket helps it's like someone hugging you all night. I love it. Even threw the day I will put it over me if needs be.

@Bellad19 I got mine from Remy sleep. I got the 12kg (I'm a big girl) queen sized one. It was about £130 but worth every penny it's great quality.

@Bellad19 tag above didn't work

Out of interest, is it just general anxiety or anxiety over anything specific? I know you said a few things but I'd be interested to hear if you don't mind sharing?

@FeeFee832 a mixture of everything I think. Health anxiety. General anxiety. Everything. Sometimes I have reasons for the anxiety and sometimes it's just made up things in my head that I worry about.

Cutting out caffeine, I cant believe what a difference this has made to my life!

Focus on being in the now.

Meditation apps are helpful to get a handle on anxiety when you're starting to feel bad