It is a well known fact that I am a person with high functioning anxiety. I can be down the rabbit hold in the blink of an eye. Recently it had gotten so bad that I decided I needed to do something. I am on a medication for blood pressure that was originally an anxiety med and it does help but some days my intrusive thoughts are just too much.
So, I started an anxiety journal.
And it isn’t anything like I thought it would be.
I divided it up into sections — a morning routine, an evening routine, Goals for the day, food I have eaten that day (but not really a calorie counting food journal) and a spot for rating my anxiety levels throughout the day and what the trigger is. Keeping track of the food let’s me know if anything I eat (caffeine, sugar) triggers nervousness.
It was like a sigh of relief to start a morning routine and something became immediately apparent — I am the sort of person that needs structure — not a fly by the seat of my pants kinda gal. I started with the morning routine and as I went I added more things to it and now it has become habit. I am still sort of working on the evening routine because I don’t do well getting things done at bedtime so I think I am going to have to start my evening routine a little earlier. That is ok too.
The important thing that I have learned so far is that the busier I keep myself the less anxiety I have but I need the list, to keep me on task as my mind wanders way too much. So, yeah, it feels really good to have a purpose everyday, even if it is just to clear a to-do list but if it helps my anxiety that is fine with me.
I know it sounds ridiculous for a woman of my age to have a to-do list but the truth is that since my husband retired and we have had several health adventures, our once structured routine has flown out the window. People say retirement is great, you can do what you want, and to some degree that is true and ok but not to the point that you lose your way. That seems to be what has happened to me. I am glad to be finding my way back.
Have a great Thursday!
4 comments:
I think keeping a food journal to see if any particular foods cause stress/anxiety is a great idea.
I also use to-do lists because I love checking things off. We do what we can to keep our spirits up.
So far I have pinpointed sugar as a culprit but then I sort of knew that. The lists help keep me focused — if I don’t have the prompts I wont do the thing. So it is helping!
Melissa, you blog! Good reading, I enjoyed this. I didn't know but I will be back. I can talk anxiety. Thanks for being here.
Walter! Hi! Welcome! Yes, I have been blogging for years. Stop by anytime! Now I am off to visit yours!
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