So it’s been an interesting weekend for me. I’ve been busy, and thanks to my anxiety, I’ve become completely overwhelmed. But instead of getting anything accomplished, my mind chose to shut off. Fun, right?
So I finally decided what I wanted to blog about- ways to deal with stress. Lately, I’ve felt like I’m underwater. Everything’s in slow-motion and looks fuzzy. And I can’t focus on anything at all. How do I snap out of my funk and get back to normal?
- Drink Dr. Pepper, but that’s fairly specific to me. Usually when I’m in a funk, I’m also struggling with a headache. I like Dr. Pepper because it has a much more mild amount of caffeine than coffee, plus it tastes better. Usually a bit of caffeine kickstarts my awakening process.
- Make a list. Knowing what you need to accomplish is huge. Visualizing your goals and putting them in order is another major step to get back to work. I had to make a list today so I could get this blog post written.
- Keep goals small. Smaller goals are easier to accomplish, and if your goals are broken up into smaller pieces, they become much more manageable.
- Unplug. Step away from the internet, the computer, the tv, etc. Those things shut your brain down. Getting outside into real light and real air awakens the brain and freshens the mind.
- Exercise. Whether it’s going for a walk and stretching your muscles out or something more intensive, just get out there and do something. Get blood flowing back to your brain so you can think more clearly. Exercise is the most underutilized antidepressant and anti-anxiety drug.
- Find a hobby. Make sure you make time for something that relaxes you. Something that you enjoy doing rather than something you feel like you have to do. I spent last week crocheting a project for my sister. Crocheting is my relaxant. But this project ended up not being relaxing and it ended up pushing my anxiety to the limits. I ended up having to take a break from that project to crochet something more relaxing. It did end up helping.
- Smile. Smiling and laughing reduce stress. It’ll improve your mood and your ability to focus.
Obviously these are just my tips. What do you do when you feel like you can’t work? Share in the comments!
~Allie
I so get the feeling like you're drowning thing. Everything feels like it's spiraling out of control, and you have to get through each day, and you get more behind, and somehow you just need to stop the spinning and start going forward again.
Great idea to have a list of things to help snap you out of a funk.
When I was on vacation, without regular internet access, I definitely felt that underwater sensation. I never seemed to have enough time for everything I wanted to do, and I was falling behind on things that were important to me. Thankfully I had a beautiful countryside and beach to spend time on and get away from that anxiety, and it really helped. I've come home refreshed and ready for my next list of tasks. 🙂
I hope your stress decreases soon. Your list has some great tips–I even smiled when you wrote "smile" so it definitely helps! 🙂
This is a timely post. I've stressed myself, but the difference is I feel shut off from everyone.
Why? Because majority of my time everyday, I spend it in the hospital, and when I'm home, I spend my time left to taking care of my Aunt's dogs and household.
I miss writing, I miss watching movies, and most important of all, I miss blogging. I miss Scribophile. I miss going to the part.
Right now, what I need most is to relax.
Hopefully tomorrow, I'll be fine because I'm feeling under the weather at the moment. I'm trying to relax myself.