Mainly Though

It should be noted that I have always been an anxious person.  The only thing that changes is the thing about which I am anxious at any given moment.

At this very moment, it's the job market.  I don't want to go heavy into details, but we know my time in my current job is winding down, and I need a new gig.  Working on it, believe me.  But it does make for some serious anxiety.

So, how to handle anxiety?  Great question.

Here are a few of my tried-and-true methods:

Distraction:  This one is always good for a few minutes.  I find that the best distraction is an active distraction.  Watching a movie, for example, can be a good distraction, or it could just make you more agitated.  Reading, and playing computer games require a bit more interaction, so they're good - but what you need is some physical and immersive task.  Like, this morning, I grabbed a few q-tips and cleaned out the crevices on the stove that were looking a little rough.  It was all-consuming for a good fifteen minutes.  That's a full quarter hour of not feeling panicked.  And, when I was done - cleaner stove!  

Eating: This is just a very specific form of distraction.  But it requires the planning of what to eat, how to get it, and when to eat it.  For me, anxiety foods need some crunch and some salt.  Which is better than sad and angry food, which is almost always sugar.  I'm in touch with my body.

Exercise:  Some people really like going for a walk or run to clear their head and feel better.  Well, I can walk and stew at the same time - so if it's exercise, it really needs to give me a more out-of-body experience.  Zumba, dance class, whitewater rafting.  I can forget about many things while I am invested in not falling down or capsizing.

Sleep:  Oh, man - this one is the best.  I can sleep anytime.  And nearly anywhere.  It passes the time really nicely, and before you know it, the afternoon is evening.  Now, you have to be careful with daytime sleep because it can really mess up your nighttime sleep. And in either case, you may not be able to entirely escape what you're feeling.  For example, the other night, I dreamed that our ceiling was caved in.  And I went outside, and every building was caved in.  

Quickly, to the internet!  According to www.dreamdecoder.me:

So, that was fun.  

Write Things:  Grocery lists, packing lists, to-do lists, essays, letters, humorous Facebook posts.  When I put fingers to keyboard, I can very easily get immersed in what I am working on.  I once ran way late to a therapy appointment because I was working on a presentation that had me completely under its spell.   I have an idea I'm working on for a humorous short story.  I don't know if it has legs, but it's fun to work through.

Window(s) Shopping:  I purchased a shower curtain for our cabin a few weeks ago.  Technically, I purchased two, because you need that for a clawfoot tub.  It striped in yellow, orange, and coral - citrusy, sunshiny, cheerful.  I did a lot of looking online at shower curtains to keep my feelings occupied.  You would be surprised at the sheer number of these sheer curtains, and moreover, how expensive they can get.  Once acquired, I knew I needed to supplement some of the towels in that same bathroom, and I found these:

Perfection, right?  I know, I know.  I am pretty freaking stoked.  Because now that I have these, I can add this:

So, maybe not just looking at the merch, but actually buying it.

Good times.

Speaking of...

Time:  Sometimes with anxiety, you just have to let it do what it does and wait for it to leave.  It's like my friend Tom once said, "The waiting is the hardest part."  Don't be petty.  It was profound.

I'll keep you posted.  Keep your ceilings high, and your hopes even higher.

ae