Goal #4- Dealing with Stress and Anxiety!

Soooooo! I have actually really been working on these goals. I can see a difference in just my outlook!

So here is a little about me! I have chronic depression. I was diagnosed with it when I was 17 and started medicine for treatment to deal with the symptoms. I still have episodes though, and everything can be going good but I can't help but feel blue, isolate myself, and just be exhausted. Nothing has to be wrong in order for me to feel that way. I know I am very fortunate for all I have and I don't take it for granite. I call it my "funks". As fast as I fall into one, I can normally bring myself out of one. Some last longer then others. It is hard for people to understand them if they don't deal with them. My best friend who is just happy with everything in her life, one day just had a melt down. She became super depressed, couldn't deal with any of her daily stress, and couldn't even bring herself to leave the house. She thought she was crazy because "nothing was wrong". I had to keep explaining to her that nothing has to be wrong for someone to be depressed. It just happens sometimes, it's a chemical imbalance in the brain. There is nothing wrong with it. It is just learning to accept it and deal with it as it comes. Luckily with much pushing from me, she went to the doctors and started on a medicine to help balance her out and then started talk therapy to learn to deal with it.

Okay, so back to my story...... I feel like I have been in a funk for the past couple months. I partly blame this on the insurance company. You know, the one who wanted to play games with my medicines and would not give me the one I had been on for almost two years, until I tried a generic brand of something else. Needless to say, that was an awful month! August and some of September was HORRIBLE for me emotionally. It was literally like I was on a roller coaster. One minute super happy and the next so out of touch with the world. I was angry and just flat out sad all the time. Like most medicines I have tried, it clearly didn't work for me. Luckily I have been back on my medicine for the majority of October, so after two weeks or so, of it getting back into my system, I generally I feel a lot better.

I am like everyone, there is things I dislike about myself and only I can fix those. So I think realizing that now is a better time then ever to fix those has helped. I have started drinking more water and less of the soda and sugary drinks. I have cut back on my eating and replaced a lot of meals with healthier vegetables and fruits. I snack on those more often so that I am less hungry come dinner time. Now the organizing part...... that's a work in progress! I keep pinning new things and ways to organize. I just need to save up the money to get some of the stuff I need. I'll get there slowly, but surely!

These small changes have just made me feel more energized and better about myself! My skin is even clearing up! Just shows what the extra junk can do! Honestly, I think that just stopping and realizing that I was in a funk, helped me pick myself back up and work on getting out of it. It is been a little less then two weeks and I am already seeing the bright side at the end of my tunnel!

So now this brings me to goal numero fouro (I took French in school, so I don't know my Spanish, but it sounded good!): Managing Stress and Anxiety!

I found these guidelines from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADDA) site while doing a research paper for one of my classes.

Tips to Manage Anxiety and Stress

When you're feeling anxious or stressed, these strategies will help you cope:

• Take a time-out. Practice yoga, listen to music, meditate, get a massage, or learn relaxation techniques. Stepping back from the problem helps clear your head.
• Eat well-balanced meals. Do not skip any meals. Do keep healthful, energy-boosting snacks on hand. (See I am working on that!)
• Limit alcohol and caffeine, which can aggravate anxiety and trigger panic attacks. (Wahoo for drinking more water instead!)
• Get enough sleep. When stressed, your body needs additional sleep and rest.
• Exercise daily to help you feel good and maintain your health. Check out the fitness tips below.
• Take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly.
• Count to 10 slowly. Repeat, and count to 20 if necessary.
• Do your best. Instead of aiming for perfection, which isn't possible, be proud of however close you get.
• Accept that you cannot control everything. Put your stress in perspective: Is it really as bad as you think?
• Welcome humor. A good laugh goes a long way.
• Maintain a positive attitude. Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
• Get involved. Volunteer or find another way to be active in your community, which creates a support network and gives you a break from everyday stress.
• Learn what triggers your anxiety. Is it work, family, school, or something else you can identify? Write in a journal when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, and look for a pattern.
• Talk to someone. Tell friends and family you’re feeling overwhelmed, and let them know how they can help you. Talk to a physician or therapist for professional help.

And one thing I have been learning, is to continue telling myself that it will all work out in the end. I have made it this far, so something has to be working! I have always gotten everything done! I have always passed the my classes! I may have been late to things, but it has worked out! I think just by approaching everyday things that way has helped me just calm down some! I still get anxiety, but I just try to breathe through it. I have picked up a couple hobbies that take my mind off of stuff! And I have been letting things roll off me more then usual. Somethings aren't worth the fights or even the point of saying anything. Sometimes it's just easier to smile and ignore it. It's just better that way!

So goal number 4 is already a work in progress and has been for sometime. I am going to continue to work on it and just let things go. Take a moment out to just breathe and clear my mind each day! If you spend so much time worrying about the future, then you will miss everything in the present!