The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
OK life's good. My bills are up to date, my children are happy, schools going to be a scrape and pass this semester but hey when pressure hits c's get degrees ( and who knows i might miraculously get Bs I don't really care because these are my non-law electives that I have to do). A major project is almost wrapping up, and really this chapter of life is wrapping up the old and revealing the new. I just can not seem to shake off my anxiety however. Its really irritating me that I am anxious! Can someone remind me how to manage this condition?
Hi A41 I agree with jerry. I also start my day with the serenity prayer,and trust the God will guide my action during the day. When fear enters, i immediately pick up a slogan such as" live and let live or: let go and let god and do not entertain it for a moment. I also review my assets and make a gratitude list so that when i become anxious, i remind myself of my successes and that never fails you are a hard working loving mom keep up the good work
(((a4l))) - I too lean into the Serenity Prayer each day just to remind me I am a very small cog in the big wheel of life. I do believe, for me, that the primary cause of my anxiety is projection and fear. Anything I can do to get back to just this present moment helps greatly! Simple concern for another - send a text to say I love you, am thinking about you or have a good day helps ground me if/when I struggle with what slogan. Each morning, my prayer to the God of my understanding includes 4 simple personal requests - keep me sober, sane, serene and of service. I then focus on turning my will and life over, just for the day....part of my morning prayer/meditation includes a gratitude list, simply because when I can keep an attitude of gratitude and be mindful of how blessed I really am, it helps me greatly with my anxiety and serenity. Sending you tons of positive energy - so awesome to hear of all that's good/great in your life!!! Keep doing you - you are doing awesome!
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Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
For many years, when I began to recognize life was feeling "unmanageable" ...
I would make a beeline to the city park to get with Higher Power again... until calm came over me again, that is the sure sign of time spent with Higher Power. Just walking among the trees and sparkly water and seeing the soothing color green and feeling the breeze on my skin or hearing the birds or the sound of my foot fall... Nothing feels more like medicine for my weary soul. It gives me the STRENGTH to do life all over again tomorrow.
Recovery lessons taught me to BALANCE the needs of mind, body and spirit... spiritual needs being MOST important because tapping into a power GREATER... brings success in everything else.
Brightest blessings for your life's work (((hugs)))
-- Edited by 2HP on Friday 5th of April 2019 10:55:39 AM
Big hugs, my son practices mindfulness. You can youtube it if you aren't familiar. I think it's something you would enjoy because it's really about being IN the moment .. not the past and not the future it's literally that present second.
One thing about anxiety that I have come to understand is it's fear of the unknown. I don't know however I would speculate that some of the unknown in your situation is the fact there's no drama and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Why would things be this good? It might be a good time to do a quick mini step 4 about the anxiety and what that means to you.
I also am a huge advocate of weighted blankets. My son got one for Christmas and I got a really nice one for not to expensive .. some run so much and that's not in the budget. LOL. It has made a difference in my sleeping because when I sleep .. I sleep. It's helped him a great deal and I can see the difference from someone who's anxiety level started in the AM at a 9 to it dropping to a 2. Now his anxiety issues are a little different with gender/society issues. However marked difference in addressing them the way he has, and using different tools therapist have suggested over the years.
Big hugs again.
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Faith minus vulnerability and mystery equals extremism. If you've got all the answers, then don't call what you do "faith". - Brene Brown
"Whatever truth you own doesn't own you" - Gary John Bishop
Thank you for all the loving support and loving suggestions. I managed to calm down significantly though sleep was elusive. I had a meeting this morning which was stressing me. I did manage to inventory around it and it was OK. Its amazing what gets carried around in the subconscious, mine needs a clean. Grateful to have this group and space . its funny about the weighted blanket. I need blankets even when I live in the tropics. That's a great sleep idea S. Thanks for it.
Xx
Here is an exercise I teach people in several of the courses, training, seminars, etc., that I lead/teach...
Breathe deeply...in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Slowly look around you, focus, and find...
5 things you can see, identify them by name, and say each, one by one out loud.
4 things you can touch, and touch them
3 things you can hear, and listen to them
2 things you can smell, or smells you like, and smell them
1 emotion you can feel, identify it, say what it is out loud, and just feel it.
This is a technique called Grounding. It can help you when you feel like youve lost control of your thoughts, thought process, surroundings, etc.
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Bo
Keep coming back...
God, grant me the serenity...to accept the PEOPLE I cannot change...the courage to change the ONE I can...and the wisdom to know it's ME...
Freetime I also practice on that thought force. My former sponsor Don. T gave me the question, "Could you be wrong?" He expected me to ask myself that when I had doubts and to find the answers where they were and then the solutions. He also gave me "When in doubt? Don't (do anything rash)". He was a HP gift. (((Hugs)))
Oh I do so much to help with anxiety... I started a mindfulness class to learn to practice meditations I do every night. A gratitude list every morning to keep me from falling off the cliff I am losing everything.
One thing I learned which helps in extreme anxiety. I tell myself to PAUSE and to internally re center myself by visualizing a candle sitting in a forest flickering and being slowing bathe with sunlight until the flame and candle disappears from the sunlight.
Focus on something intensely helps to get out of my head where the anxiety lives.
