The 5 Steps To Taming Your Beast
Step 1 – Accept In some ways we believe this is the most important step. Accept you have issues with anxiety. Consciously accept it, right down deep in your very soul. No one wants to have any sort of mental illness but we can’t control the cards we are dealt. There is nothing to be gained by trying to ignore facts and reality. Accepting your condition doesn’t mean your are weak or inferior to anyone else. Just like someone with diabetes or high blood pressure can’t help their diagnosis and have to learn to manage it, so do you with your anxiety. Spend some time deep in thought. Work through any issues you have with the facts. You have to arrive at a place of acceptance so that your mind is open to the next steps in the process of “taming the beast”. Step 2 – Take Care Of Yourself We all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everything life involves. Work, family, relationships, social life. It seems we are always busy and there is never enough time in the day to do everything that needs doing. In order to get your mind working better you must ensure that your are in the best shape you are able to be in. I don’t mean you have to be a marathon runner, just be in the best shape you can be in today. If you are like me you are overweight and out of shape. The key is that you are aware of where you are at and have made a decision to make small changes to improve yourself. Things to think about include; - Practice relaxation techniques. These techniques can take a while to feel like they are doing anything but stick at it. When practiced regularly, relaxation techniques such as mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing can reduce anxiety symptoms and increase feelings of relaxation and emotional well-being. Adopt healthy eating habits. Start the day right with breakfast, and continue with frequent small meals throughout the day. Low blood sugar levels can make you feel more anxious so ensure you are having regular small healthy meals and snacks throughout the day.- Reduce or eliminate alcohol and nicotine. They lead to more anxiety, not less. This can be tough so just do your best. I have been trying to stop smoking for months and still haven’t nailed it but I will keep on trying. Exercise regularly. Exercise is a natural stress buster and anxiety reliever. I can’t believe how much better I feel since I started exercising 3 or 4 times a week. We go for a gentle walk for around 45 minutes almost – everyday. Even on days when we don’t feel motivated we drag ourselves off our butts and do it anyway. To achieve the maximum benefit, aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on most days. The other advantage of exercising outside is you soak up a bit of vitamin d from the sun which is one of natures 100% natural “feel good” pick me ups. Get enough sleep. A lack of sleep can exacerbate anxious thoughts and feelings, so try to get 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep a night. Step 3 – Challenge and fight each and every negative thought Take notes about all your worries. Make sure you have a notepad and pen or pencil on you, or use a laptop, smartphone, or tablet. When you experience anxiety, write down your worries. Write down whatever it is that is bothering you. Writing things down is much harder work than simply thinking them, so your negative thoughts are likely to disappear sooner. Create an anxiety worry period. Choose a couple (1 or 2) 10 minute “anxiety worry periods” each day, time you can devote to any anxiety you are experiencing. During your anxiety worry period, focus only on negative, anxious thoughts without trying to correct them. The second part of this is harder but does get easier with practice. Commit that the rest of the day, is to be designated free of anxiety and worry. When anxious thoughts come into your head during the day, write them down and “postpone” them to your worry period. Accept uncertainty. Unfortunately, worrying about all the things that could go wrong wont make your life any more predictable. It only keeps you from enjoying the good things happening in the present. Learn to accept uncertainty and not require immediate solutions to life’s problems. Step 4- Develop and Use A Set Of Well Written, Powerful Positive Affirmations We credit Positive Affirmations as having the single biggest impact in getting on top of this tangled web of mental illness we found ourselves dealing with. We would like to recommend you check out our story and advice about how to create a set of super powerful positive affirmations that are custom built for you and the issues you are dealing with each day. Click Here To Check out our Positive Affirmations Post Step 5 – Find a confidant This is pretty simple. Find someone you can unload with, someone who won’t judge you but allow you to vent when you need to. Lets be honest. we all need to vent sometimes, just let it out. The best way to do this is with someone you trust explicitly. It can be a partner, a friend, a doctor, a counsellor, anyone. As long as you feel comfortable, safe and secure with the person. I would suggest you ask the person you are thinking about if they will work with you during your recovery. By asking them and talking and explaining what it is you would like help with I think you are setting yourself up for success. A word of caution. Don’t overuse this resource unless it is paid professional and you have the money to pay for it! If it is a partner or some member of your family remember they have their own life and their own issues to deal with as well. What you need from this person is positive reinforcement when you’ve had a problem and a great big virtual hug and pat on the back when things have gone well for you. Bonus Step 6 – Inform and Educate I often hear that the key to success in life is to never stop learning. I think this pretty well is spot on the money. There isn’t to many of us that have any professional training in mental health issues. This means we are basically making things up as we go. Sometimes we get it right and, well, sometimes we get it wrong. One of the ways to start getting it more right than wrong is to educate yourself about your condition or that of a loved one. I enjoy and learn the most from reading. I read everyday. Google is my best friend for online research and short articles (like this one). Article taken from www.queenslandmentalhealth.com
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Sue Suchocki - Facilitator of: ADHD / ASD - Archives
January 2018
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