My silence - Anxiety and Depression

My silence means I’m tired of fighting, and now there is nothing left to fight for, my silence means I’m tired of explain myself to you, my silence means I have adapted the changes to my life and I don’t want to complain or make a fuss . Having anxiety and depression is like being terrified and exhausted at the same time it’s the fear of failure but no urge to be productive it’s an unbeaten urge to have friends but hate socialising it’s wanting to be alone all the time yet not feel lonely, it’s a bunch of feeling that strike you all at once yet feeling numb next and feeling nothing at all . Being extremely irritable and restless with an unbeatable amount of exhaustion yet  suffer with insomnia and unable to get enough sleep day in day out. But remember this the caterpillar thought she was dyeing yet she became a beautiful butterfly.never give up hope to become a butterfly.

For as long as I can remember I’ve always suffered with Anxiety and Depression  since my mid teens.
At the age of 16 I realised something wasn’t right about these weird feelings and thoughts I had
But that’s a story for another time, what I would like to share with you all is some of my coping strategies I have learned over the past couple of years or so that I’ll share with anyone who is saying they are suffering and dont Know where to start.

Take some time out 

My first one is to Take some time out to be yourself , now that’s easy said than it’s done,
Some ideas I have tried and tested are Yoga, it’s a relaxing atmosphere, gentle breathing and really Healthy for my mind and body, best of all you don’t need to interact with anyone.my favourite part was at the end of the class, where the instructor asked you to lay on your mat cover your self with the blanket and close your eyes while she talks to you about something .... I never remembered what as I was snoring at this point, there is gentle music on after 10 minutes then she starts to talk and wake you up, this was the best part of my yoga I use to attend after I was given the all clear from the GP after the birth or my child, I swear I only went to get that ten whole minutes of sleep undisturbed.

Practice meditation there’s so many apps and you tube videos at your finger tips that’s help with this,
I learned that stepping back from a problem that is causing these feelings will help clear your mind, reset and balance your self then I always brain storm the problem visually and break it down in to manageable tasks.

For those who are grounded to being at home, Take a hot bath with your favourite bubble bath, hair mask, and favourite body wash, read a book or try connect with a friend while your relaxing, light a candle and if permitted a glass of wine, tea or herbal tea.

Get some fresh air. Go for a walk.

Eating well balanced meals full of nutrition and plenty of water, Avoid alcohol and any caffeine, my reason for this is this can make it a lot worse,  making you feel more aggravated unsetttled and can trigger a panic attack.

A huge big one is GET ENOUGHT SLEEP, when stressed your body needs additional sleep and rest.try a small nap if you can , lots of early night with no screen time before bed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you have kiddies there will be plenty of people able to lend a hand while you catch up on some zzzz.

When you feel an attack building I find going to my safe place and doing several Deep breaths inhale and exhale until it passes over.

A big one I find helps me daily is LISTS , I write so many lists, this is so visually I can see what needs to be done and I’ll do it. Though out my day once I do one thing on my list I’ll cross it out, and eventually the task would be finished.

Accept you can’t control everything, this one was and still is really hard for me but the one I practiced the most, put your stress or tricky situation in to perspective is it really as bad as your making out to be, why are you worried, what is it that makes it unmanageable, can a friend or family member help you with this .

Best one is have a laugh , most of the time I do this, but find it hard to physically laughs but I found watching funny short clips always raises mY mood, a good chuckle with a friend, a comedy film,

Maintain a positive attitude, make an effort to replace the negative throughs, write them down on sticky notes and put them in a jar, ask all your children husband loved ones friends just to write something nice on it about myself is it your smile, your style, the way you care for someone they love they way you are organised, the way you do your hair , I.e. I love your lips, so with all your notes go stick them around the house, your mirror your fridge your diary..

With your alarm in the morning  choose a song that will be available for you to set as your alarm sounds, a song that makes you happy and burst out in song, mine is this is me from the greatest show man

On the worse days ever that you can’t even think about getting out of bed. You must get up and make your bed every morning, my reason for this is that every day if I can’t handle the world and any tasks then at least every day you have achieved something you got up and made your bed. Plus it’s amazing at the end of the day to climb into bed when it’s fully made.