- Acknowledge your feelings but remind them that you’re in charge. Think of them as a two year-old who needs reassurance and a bit of loving firmness.
- Remember, you have felt like this before; and it was all ok.
- If in doubt, stick to your usual plan/routine. (The one you made before your brain was flooded with adrenalin). But
- Don’t try to do too much. It’s tempting to over schedule when you’re stressed, but you need downtime too.
- Work out what ‘downtime’ looks like for you and schedule it. Favourite music. Organising drawers. Walking. Cooking something. A film. Patting your dog.
- Talk yourself down. Again, think of the two year-old. Simple directions, one at a time. And it helps to say it out loud.
- Pray. If you feel frozen, ‘help’ is fine, the Holy Spirit will do the rest.
- Get to know your triggers; and plan accordingly. For example: if you can’t handle loud noises, bring along some ear plugs or something else to listen to. If you dread social situations, ask a friend to keep you company or set a time limit for how long you will stay.
- When you’re doing something that presses your buttons, try to make space around it so you can recover and recharge.
- When things are stressful, lower your expectations of yourself.
- Make an anxiety hierarchy, from easy to hard. Start with the easiest, then gradually work through. Make a note of how you felt before, during and after. Remind yourself that the feelings passed — and they will again.
- Carry something that will anchor you and help you focus on something else. A sudoku. A memory verse. A bracelet. Paper to draw/write on. Playdough to fidget with. A ring you can twist. A scent.
- Listen to music that will help to slow.
- Regulate your breathing
- Make a list: Things you find on a beach; Favourite films; Green-coloured foods.
- Limit your exposure to social media/news/upsetting stories, at least for a time.
- Talk to someone. If you can’t articulate what you feel, just say ‘I’m really struggling and I could use…prayer/company/reassurance etc’
- Make a list of the things you are thankful for. Then tell the Lord.
- Question your perspective. Ask yourself, what would Paddington Bear do? (works for me).
- Talk to yourself as if you were a very good friend.
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1 Comment
When I saw this on Facebook, I grinned. Then I opened the post and saw the gif. And grinned again. Hahahahaha – the gif is totally spot on (closetly wondering if I might or might not have sparked this off again. Cause I know I’ve sparked off posts before. Haha.)
11: sounds like therapy. Haha. Then the top rungs freak me out …
17: does that count if it’s an Emma on a virtual level? (freak out even more, because feeling like burden. But thankfully, Emma is the sweetest! & yes I talk in 3rd person a Lot.)
19: Paddington Bear eats marmalade!!! Or would eat marmalade. But I prefer berry jam. Haha.
20: sounds like therapy again!!! Actually various people have given me this best-friend-logic advice in various times but I can’t get it to work on myself (“I’m not my best friend, I’m different from other people ..” etc) … working on that ..