Anxiety - coping techniques please

[Goodebe]

I have a fairly routine medical procedure coming up, and I’m wondering if anyone can signpost me to any articles or suggest coping techniques as the anxiety waiting for the procedure is affecting my day to day life. I feel flat, anxious, stressed. It’s like a black cloud. I know I need t procedure, it’s routine, I want to give myself a good kick up the bum as many many people are going through, and coping with, much worse! But it’s just always in my mind like an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. I just want a way of dealing with the anxiety when it creeps in to my day and carrying on as there is nothing I can do about it, I just need to accept it and move on. Any suggestions gratefully received! TIA.

I have anxiety which I take citalopram fro so I understand how you are feeling. It kind of does matter what type of procedure it is as this depends how I'd deal with it. For example if it's something like a smear I'd plan something nice for afterwards.

Somethings that have worked for me are having worry time. A set time not too late in the day say 7pm where you are allowed to worry for 10 min. You can write things down during the day as they occur. It is supposed to help with the idea worrying actually does anything to address the problem. As in if you don't worry there an them will a certain thing happen or something be worse? By the time yiu revisit it later later in the day it often doenst feel as big a deal.

When I feel quite panicky I use a little game where I name 5 things in a certain place or 5 types of things. Like 5 animals in a zoo, 5 things in a factory. Then just do 5 more then 5 more. If you really can't think you can do 5 things you can see right now or touch right now.
There are various cbt recourses online if you Google anxiety cbt resources too which may be helpful.

You’ve said it yourself - accept it. Stop trying to make yourself stop worrying but see it for what it is...anticipation. I’ve found time and time again that the anticipation is MUCH worse than the actual event. You will be fine