Anxiety and Sleep habits by Cher

Anxiety and Sleep habits by Cher

If you are up late, as I am at the moment. You may want to stop and think for a minute, if your sleeping habits are a product of your stress or anxiety cycles. I have noticed in myself, that when things are going well and stress is down, anxiety is lower, I tend to have an easy time getting to sleep and I get up more easily than ususal. However if my stress is up, whether it is due to a depression cycle or even a happy event, I have a harder time getting to sleep, since my brain seems to run over the days events and even what I need to do the next day. Now we can all atest to this in some form or another, however in the Anxiety/Panic prone people it can be extreme.

Suggestion, a form of meditation.....I know you are rolling your eyes right now because you've tried it and it didn't work for you....Well i'm here to tell you it does if you are consistant.

My form, when trying to calm my mind in bed and get to sleep , is I picture a beautiful golden bright ball hovering around me foot area. I can control the ball, and I concentrate on moving it. I move it slowly around my feet, as if it were massaging them, from one foot to the next and work the ball up slowly all the way up my body.

Now the first time I tried this, it was relaxing, kept my mind occupied but I had to do it 3 times before I finally fell asleep. Now , after using this on a regular basis, I am asleep before the ball reaches my hip area. Seems far out there, but try it , it works.

Otherwise, some soothing music, anything thing that you are comfortable with, but stick to it, and you will have a natural sleeping pattern, during stressful times.!

Here's to a great nights sleep!

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Hi to all the Anxiety sufferers out there!

You know you don't have to suffer. I have had many a post about how you can overcome your anxiety and how there are many tips and tricks to help train your brain to not think the way that we all do. We all tend to think in the "what if"mindset and this is what we really need to change. We all have anxiety to one degree or another. If we didn't we wouldn't be alive. For some of us our brains live in the mindset of , "if I do this, then this will happen" or "if I don't do this, I will avoid the panic attack all together". There are ways to overcome this way of thinking. It takes work on your part, but the work is worth it. I have said before, seek professional help first, but that professional help can only take you so far, the rest of the work is yours. You have to train your brain. There are many ways to do this, you have to find the one that works for you and do it over and over and over again. If you look at some of my archived posts and read through, you will find many tips that I have given, that worked for me. I'm not going to put them out in this post as it is long already. Please feel free to read them and I will be back soon to post some other tips.

You can overcome this, the first step is to try!

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Anxiety Fight it! by Cher

Anxiety Fight it! by Cher
You can beat anxiety! You can get your life back! You can feel normal again!

There are many things you can do to help yourself. I would suggest seeing a counselor and asking for some sort of exposure therapy, as well as other therapy offered to get to the root of things.

The best way to get over Anxiety is to be anxious,....sounds weird, but it's true. Once you put yourself in a heightend state of anxiousness and stay there for a bit, realize that the anxiety calms after a bit, with some practice you will soon realize that the anxiety is gone.

Please consult a physisian/counselor/therapist....find someone of whom you feel comfortable with.

Don't wait, do it today!



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Anxiety Help by Cher-another tip

Anxiety Help by Cher-Another tip

You can calm yourself down during an anxiety attack! Most people just suffer through it, not realizing how easy it is to get through it. I'm not saying that it will happen right away, it takes time. Please try though, there is not reason to suffer.

Breathing is the key. Take in a deep breath for a count of 10, make sure you breathe properly. If you are breathing properly, when you breath in your stomach should expand, when you let it out, it should deflate.

So breathe in for a count of 10, slowly let it out and let your shoulders drop as you do so. Repeat this slowly a few times, making sure not to hyperventalate.
Please do this in a safe place incase you get dizzy, but if you are getting dizzy, please stop.

You can relax away an Anxiety attack in no time by breathing!


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Just a tip by Cher

Just a tip by Cher

If you want your Anxiety to stay at a calm level.
Try not to get upset. The more upset you get the worse it will be.
Seems like common sense, I know, but really think about your day and see where the Anxiety was at it's worst and try to work on calming that area of your life down.

I hope you have a great day!



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Vitamin Deficiency-Anxiety Help by Cher

Every cell in the body relies on a sufficient supply of vitamins to do its job. Vitamins perform many functions. They promote, blood formation and healthy skin, hair and vision wellness, they help to maintain nerves and muscles and they aid in the release of energy from foods. Recent research suggests that some vitamins can even help prevent certain disorders, such as cancer, cataracts, arthritis and heart disease. While most of you vitamins should come from your foods a vitamin supplement is never a bad thing. They can aid you with what you aren't getting out of your everyday eating habits. Cigarettes, coffee, alcohol and birth control pills all rob the body of essential vitamins. The first signs of a Vitamin Deficiency are fatigue, irritability and anxiety. Over time the immune system will weaken.

What you can do: While there is no substitute for a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, grain and legumes. You can supplement your diet with the proper intake of vitamins.

To make things simple a good multivitamin is usually a good way to go, however if you are deficient in certain areas your doctor can recommend other supplements to take on top of your multivitamins.

Vitamin A promotes Healthy skin;heart----you can get this by eating 1 med carrot per day
Vit D : Bone formation-3 1/2 ox avocado
Vit E : Cell protection-1 tbsp wheat germ oil
Vit K : Blood coagulation-1/2 cup parsley

Vit B6: Strengthens nerves-2 large bananas
Vit B12: for red blood cells-3 1/2 oz of salmon
Vit C : for immune system, wound healing, cell protection-2 cups fresh raspberries
Folic Acid: for cell formation, fights heart disease, birth defects-2 cups asparagus
Niacin: for energy metabolism-5 oz chicken breast
Pantothenic Acid: for the central nervous system-10 cups skim milk
Riboflavin-fights fatigue-3 cups nonfat yogurt
Thiamin: Strengthens muscles, heart, nerves-5 oz. pork loin

There are many supplements out there that can aid you with vitamin intake, but please eat right that is your best and strongest fight to a healthy life. Don't forget to exercise!



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Cher Anxiety-Meditation

MEDITATION

If you have anxiety/panic attacks. You really need some form of meditation. This helps to reduce stress, and recharge yourself to lessen the anxiety in a day.

I would suggest taking a good Yoga or Tai Chi class, but we all know , that they are either not available to us, or we just cannot afford the time or the money for a class.

This gets us back to meditation, really it just means taking some quiet time out for yourself to sit in a calm atmosphere and deep breathe.

Find a quiet spot at home or at work, take about 10 min, 5 if you can't take more, and just sit, close your eyes, breathe in deeply and out forcefully and try to relax your muscles as you do this.

A good method it to picture your muscles relaxing in your head. Start at your toes, breathe in and as you breathe out, say relax ( or think it, either way works). Continue on up your body finding each muscle as you go until you reach your head.
As you do this, and it may take some practice, you will find that in the process of deep breathing and relaxing the muscles that you will feel all together better.

The more often you do this the better and easier you will find your day will go, and stress will soon be out of your vocabulary.

Remember to eat well and exercise everyday!


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CHER ANXIETY-by CHER

CHER ANXIETY-By Cher

I have been dealing with panic attacks for over 10 years now.

If you are having panic attacks/anxiety attacks first thing you do is contact a doctor!
Very important , to be assessed properly.
From assessment your doctor will prescribe either some sort of therapy and or medication to help you through.
Not everyone will adapt to medication on the first try, your doctor will try different dosages or even different medications , depending on your reaction and side effects to the meds. Now that seems scary, but I think the panic attacks are scarier.
Please don't suffer in silence, get out there and talk to people, talk online, ask others how they cope, because even with the medication, you still have to find a way to cope.
In my older posts I have tips on how to cope and get through an attack.
With practice they work very well. Please take time to read through, I want to help others get through, what I've been through with greater ease than I.
Here's to a panic free day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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SWINE FLU-Anxiety help by Cher

Swine Flu

It's in the news, it's all people are talking about and everyone is scared! Am I Right? Yes, a possible Pandemic of Swine Flu is a very scary thing, but you don't have to panic, nor lock yourself into your home until it passes.
There are precautions you can take, as with any flu , you need to wash your hands thoroughly and often. Make sure that when you cough or sneeze you do so into your sleeve , as to not pass any viruses on, even if you think you are well. Most of all, if travel to Mexico is not necessary, don't go! Any kind of travel for that matter.

As people who already have panic/anxiety attacks, we surely didn't need one more thing to worry about, but you really should just know that you can help protect yourself, try not to worry and take precautions, all will be ok.

By all means, if you don't feel well, flu like , see a doctor and have yourself checked!
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Anxiety while Driving-By Cher

Driving Anxiety

Driving Anxiety is very common in most people, especially if you do a lot of driving. People who have heightened Anxiety/Panic Attacks , driving can be a nightmare!

If this sounds like you, then here are some helpful tips to get you through.

While driving , when that overwhelming panic begins to start, make sure to breathe through it.

I know I've said Breathe through it a million times in my posts, but it is a proven fact! If you breathe properly you absolutely cannot have a panic attack.

I suggest that if possible you pull to the side of the road, take those cleansing deep breaths and make sure you are calm before pulling out again. If you cannot get to the side of the road, use some self talk. Tell yourself everything is going to be OK......say it out loud.....it does help. Repeat it as many times as necessary. Sing along to the radio, singing is a great way to breathe properly and calm the tension. Lastly, if you think it's going to be a drive that you just can't handle alone...take someone with you.....it always helps to have that person there to take over if need be. Sometimes that extra person will even keep and attack from coming on, but BEWARE, that extra person can become a crutch...that is to say...you will get used to it and never be able to drive alone. Watch for that........

Breathe, sing, self talk......you'll get through it , it just takes practice!

Happy driving!

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Anxiety Tip

If you are reading this , you probably suffer from Anxiety/Panic Attacks.
I am going to give you a tip for today. Seeing as most Anxiety Sufferers will not take the time to read a long winded Blog, I will keep them short and sweet from now on.


Tip: When you are avoiding as situation due to an anxiety attack or you are expecting to have one if you put yourself in that situation....my answer to that is simply don't! Don't avoid the situation, face it head on. If you have an anxiety attack, don't worry about it, find a place to sit and work through it. Breath through it, self talk works as well. Remember others will not judge you because of it, everyone is not looking at you, and if they are .....who cares!

You need to face them head on, and you will find that slowly it will get easier every time you face a situation where you are not comfortable!

Anxiety/Panic Attacks will not kill you, they are uncomfortable, but you can get through it!

Fight it!

Cheryl

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Afraid to leave the house!

Afraid to leave the House!

I have been there. Sitting in my home, watching the world go by. Seeing my friends and family live a normal life. They go out to play , they go out to their friends, to the store, to the movies, while I sit , terrified that if I step out the door I will have an anxiety/panic attack!

Does this sound like you right now? So many people suffer from agoraphobia, and most start because of depression which causes anxiety and panic attacks.
Usually it starts slowly, just afraid to go to the mall (too many people), then to the corner store, then driving, then, .....I could go on....It continues until you are housebound and don't have a clue how to fix yourself.

I was housebound for 2 years. I hated every aspect of it, it became so I was even afraid to be home alone at all. I thought I would be that way for the rest of my life. I am here to tell you, my new friend, that you can get over it, you can get your life back!

My road to recovery started as simply as the panic did. Baby steps, .......I took a step out side one day....then the next I stayed out a little longer, then the next day I moved even further out. This continued until I could get down my driveway......Slowly I tried new things, going for a short walk with my child, (panic, yes) but I got through it. It took about 2 months to get to the point where I was no longer afraid to go outside. It took even longer, but I now can go to the mall, drive, work, and do most things others can. I still have panic attacks, but I know they cannot hurt me, so I breathe through them. I still have bouts of anxiety when home alone, but they pass.

Listen my point is........If you want to change , you can.....if you want advice....seek it.....if you want your life back you can have it!!!!!!!

There is much information out there now about what you have.....seek a doctor who knows.....find a support group , even online , who can help you talk about things.

I did........and so can you!!!!!!

Take a deep breath, and one step out the door! It's a start!

Cheryl

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Anxiety Symptoms by Cher

Anxiety Help-Symptoms of an Attack


If you an adult, sometimes kids have them as well, but as an adult I think we all know what a bit of Anxiety feels like.
Usually we get shaky, breathe shallowly, and for most people it passes quickly. For people like us who's anxiety attacks do not pass quickly we have a whole gamut of symptoms that we go through such as:
Your cardiovascular system leaps into action.
Your heart beats hard and fast to pump blood 5X's the normal rate Blood rushes to the outer extremities in the muscles to enable sufficient strength for fight or flight.
Blood is constricted in other less essential areas like the surface of your skin (you end up looking quite pale as a result).
Blood vessels in the kidneys and digestive system also constrict and your mouth becomes dry as a result. To lighten the load your bladder or bowels may open up--hence irritable bowel and/or upset stomach, usually a feeling that you have to poo , and right now!
Sweat glands open up to cool your body down. Your respiratory system acts up, Your lungs and nostrils open up and your breath speeds up. This allows more air so more blood can be oxygenated, delivering more blood to the muscles. This also gives you the ability to scream loudly!
Also: Endorphins are released providing a natural pain reliever (sore joints won't limit your strength or speed). Our senses sharpen and our pupils dilate. We can even see better in the dark. Energy is metabolized. Fat is broken down from the cells and glucose from the liver creates a ready source of energy.
Your higher brain gets slowed, makes it hard to think Your thinking becomes intensely focused on identifying the source of danger even if it is not readily known. Any clue from past experiences is called up from the deep files in the far recesses of the brain. You are more reactive and spontaneous.
This is not a time for reflection. Anxiety attack symptoms are provoked by our fight or flight response!
In conclusion, for most of us it feels like a heart attack, or in extreme cases it we feel out of our body's, and a feeling of not being here happens. We can also think we are dying. You are not dying, you can work through these attacks and the more your practice the better and easier it gets.
There are some other tips to getting through an anxiety attack, just look at my past blogs. Try to reduce stress, knock out caffeine, and relax as much as possible. Every step helps. I hope you all have a calm day!

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Anxiety Help by Cher-Money and Stress

Moderate Stress by Cher

We all think that people with money are the only ones who can live a stress free life. We all wish we had more money to help make our stress go away. Well my friends, there are ways to help your stress levels without breaking your pocket book, or having to be wealthy.

I will agree with all of you out there, that money does help. Yes, but more money only brings on different stresses. Then you have to pay someone to help you reduce those stresses.
Getting to the point.....You can go see a masseuse...if you can't afford one, as I can't. Take a nice warm bath, or shower. Fill your bathroom with smells you enjoy, and or music you love. Take time for yourself, no matter how unimportant you may think it is. Everyone must take time for themselves as much as possible. You will find out how much less anxiety and panic you will have if you do this daily. Don't forget to eat right and exercise as well.

Take quiet time, to read a book, to just sit and relax. I must say though, watching a movie or T.V. doesn't count, because you are focused on something else, and those things you need to work out, are still at the back of your mind.

Try to make sure that the time is yours, and only yours. It doesn't have to be that long, 1/2 hour at the least. But try to do it often.

Most of us out there, live for others. Parents for their kids, others for their parents, some for others in the community who need help. You must remember yourself though, because without that time for yourself, how will you be able to care for others.

That bit of time you spend on yourself, will pay off in great stress relief in the end, and may even rejuvenate you enough to do that little extra, for you, for someone else you've been thinking about .
Here's to a less stress day!

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