4: Meditation of the mindfulness type.
30 minutes of mindfulness mediation can actually change your brain structure in just 8 weeks. No, I am serious, a study was done*!
I have meditated since grade school, but mostly of the "guided imagery" type. Only recently have I begun mindfulness meditation in earnest. It is not as easy as it looks, and I am not an expert yet, so I will direct you here as a starting point.
The desired result is that the nonjudgemental observation of thoughts helps drive home the reality that thoughts are just things (often untrue things), and then truly living life in the moment will be possible. Ever notice that you say things to yourself that you would never say to a friend, because it is false and hurtful? Or notice that you spend your time obsessing over the future or the past? If not, just try mindfulness meditation, and implement the skills you learn into daily life, and it may shock you.
Try not to believe the least flattering angle that your mind drifts toward.
... for example, my calf is not really this big. It is just the ANGLE! I am not embarrassed...
5: Seek medical help.
I got tested for every malady and allergy under the sun. The peace of mind that comes from knowing an anxiety attack is not a heart attack... well, it's priceless. I also fixed a rickets-level vitamin D deficiency, and am having a surgery next month to fix a minor problem... both things I would not have discovered without extensive testing, and both things that had been causing me anxiety.
We're pulling out the big guns here. I tend to do things to the extreme, so when I say I'm doing therapy, I mean 5 hours a week of the stuff. Over the past several months, I have learned a lot of coping mechanisms, stopped having full-blown panic attacks, and ironed out several issues that have been bothering me for years. Work stressors are the only things that seem to be lingering, but cognitive behavioral therapy has brought me pretty darn far.
I have also been doing weekly community acupuncture. Community acupuncture is far more affordable at $15 per session, and the sessions can last as long as you want (they even encourage napping!). I originally began going after hearing lots of testimonials about improved fertility, but I stayed because of the unintended side-effect of stress relief. To me, it feels like the endorphins one gets from a really great jog, except without the physical stimulation. It's like a big dose of serenity, and I don't care that acupuncture doesn't make sense to my logical side. Whatever works!
6: Solve the problems, or let them go.
Not every problem can be solved. Which bugs the heck out of me. Complicated issues are hell on a perfectionist.
Anxiety and nightmares are my body's way of telling me, "Whoa there, something is very wrong. I'm not sure what it is, and I can't be bothered to figure it out." Very often, I don't know what it is either... until I realize it is the thing I am avoiding, the thing that was staring me right in the face. Procrastinators be warned, the quickest way out of it is to strike at the heart of the problem and find a solution.
To let things go, I am embracing a grateful attitude. When you have what feels like a really big problem, sometimes comparing it to a worst-case scenario can be a nice reality check. I can always be grateful that I had a hot shower today, a full belly, clean clothes, and that if I smile at someone they will smile back. In light of that, it is easier to let problems go, at least for a few hours.
How do you keep your brain-gremlins under control?
(Part 3 of the Burnout Recovery Experiment comes next week!)
* science rules.
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