STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Sorry you are feeling anxious.  It's no fun. 

For the short-term to help you feel better, you might try some easy breathing exercises and/or relaxation techniques.  When you are in the thick of anxiety, it can sometimes be difficult to get benefit from and stick with relaxation techniques, so maybe you could download a free podcast from iTunes or something to help you along.  Test out a few to see what you like and what is effective.  

Look for breathing, awareness, meditation, body scans, muscle scanning, relaxation, -- even just some soft, new age or jazz music can help too.

With the shorter days and less sunlight, you could be feeling the effects of the approaching winter season too.

For the long term, sessions with a counselor/therapist could help you get over the bumps of anxiety--and work through any depression that could be tagging along (sometimes that is hard to see and feel if you are mainly experiencing anxiety).

A lot of people get like this, myself included. I've actually been feeling the same way lately, but I know why it's happening. I would suggest the breathing excercises and doing activities that make you happy to take your mind off the anxiety. If it gets to bad, you might want to go see a doctor or talk to someone about it.

A, sorry you're feeling this way :( Sometimes this happens to me too for no reason. A cup of herbal tea and a nap does wonders for me. Is it at all possible for you to lie down for 20-30 minutes? That seems to "reset" things somehow.

I know a walk would be quite an endeavor with getting the two little ones bundled up, but can you go outside even for a few minutes and get some fresh air and/or sunlight?

Curiously, sometimes when I sit on my laptop and am mindlessly browsing for a while, I start to get anxious & stir-crazy. A lot of times I have to tell myself to leave whatever it is, and go do something else.

I get this way too. For me, the only way to really rid the feeling is a great workout. Even taking a 30 minute workout class makes me forget about my personal drama and I feel really good and relaxed after. Plus, after a great workout I'm exhausted, so I sleep really well after.

thanks so much, girls!  your responses were very helpful!  i am actually feeling a lot better, but i still don't know what the cause was!  i went to the playground with the kids and met a friend, then went to the library and read to them, and I am feeling so much better.  I am definitely going to consider either talking w/ my doctor about it or a therapist (though we don't have a lot of spare cash to spend on one unfortunately) and will check out the breathing techniques as well.  maybe i'll try yoga too.  exercise and naps seem to help as well - as long as the anxiety doesn't keep me from getting to sleep.

i think just being outside and seeing my children have fun helped a lot!  Vanessa, this always seems to happen when I am on the internet, as you mentioned.  Weird. 

I'm sorry - I definitely know that feeling  and I think anxiety is one of the most difficult things to deal with - once it starts it seems to escalate and that provides more anxiety so it feels like a snowball effect.

I also often notice it after being online- maybe it is the bright light as the contrast with the winter light getting less can have that effect. Also, I got told once to remember to breathe when I'm using the computer because apparently a lot of people end up holding their breath without being conscious of it when computing.

I also get acupuncture and that is amazing for anxiety My doctor also recommended some herbal supplements to deal with high cortisol that accompanies stress and anxiety -they were Holy Basil, Rhodiola Rosea and L-Theanine (I think that is found in green tea). Anyway might be worth asking about as they seemed to help me.

Hope you feel better soon!

stardust wrote:

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I also often notice it after being online- maybe it is the bright light as the contrast with the winter light getting less can have that effect. Also, I got told once to remember to breathe when I'm using the computer because apparently a lot of people end up holding their breath without being conscious of it when computing.

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this is so interesting to me.  i wonder if that has something to do with it!  i'll def. keep that in mind b/c i can tell a difference when i take a deep breath. 

also stardust, do you mind giving me some more information about the Holy Basil, Rhodiola Rosea and L-Theanine?  do they come in capsule form and if so, are they all together or do you take them separate?  are there any unwanted side effects and would it be safe for me to just start taking them on my own w/o contacting my doctor (i'm all for going to the doctor, but b/c we just moved here i have a new doctor and he's okay but i don't love him)?  if they work for you maybe i'll just take your word for it and try it.  there is a gnc right near my house.  thanks so much!

thanks also dangergirl and suasoria for your insight.  i am having a little bit more anxiety now (which is why i am posting instead of sleeping at 1:30 am!) and i am pretty sure after thinking about it that it does have to do with money and the added stress of the holidays.  

suasoria - i thought about this being connected with SAD, but i don't know that much about it to know if it's a real issue with me.  i do try to get outside every day and it seems to make a huge impact on me when i do (almost as much as working out), so maybe this is something i should look into.  thanks for you input!  

I felt that way a few days ago and I think, for me, it's this time of year. I LOVE the holidays, but there's a lot of stress involved: I still have to finish buying gifts and ship them, pack to go out of town, spend a week with my family, etc. Then add that to the fact that the gifts are an added expense and the world's economic news sucks lately, plus the normal pressures of work and life, and it's a lot to deal with.

Also, I totally agree with the idea that the computer makes one anxious. This may sound weird, but I think here's part of the problem: I open up my email and I almost always have at least 12 emails from various companies offering 20% off, free shipping, or whatever. I think it makes me anxious because then I start feeling like I have to take advantage of all these GREAT DEALS! and if I don't I'm somehow missing out. Then I go over to my Google Reader and it tells me that I have 131 blog posts that I haven't read yet and OMG when am I going to have the time to read all that??? As little as these things are, I think it contributes to some anxiety. Anyway, that's my theory.

Hi Alb - the Holy Basil, Rhodiola Rosea and L-theanine tend to come separately. I basically got told to just make sure they are from a good natural food or vitamin store and follow the suggested use on the bottle. I experienced no adverse side effects although I suppose that is possible. I was told by the nutritionist that they are considered very safe but it may pay to talk to someone just in case. I think the Rhodiola Rosea can give you an energy boost too so I tend to take that in the morning as sometimes i have trouble sleeping and want to avoid anything that might interfere with that.

I was told that they are becoming more popular as they can control cortisol which tends to rise when we're anxious and stabilise it so that we can handle anxiety and stress better.  I hope that helps!