Stop me if you have heard this before

I have had two head shrinking sessions with a counselor and so far so hard unsettling tiring good.

In case you want the short version: there is no magic pill in dealing with anxiety (well there probably are a few magic pills but not for me) and its not going to kill me and I have the power to minimise or maximise its impact on my life.

I like talking to Tracey. She is a talker too and that makes me feel relaxed. She is also smart, married, a Mum and has fantastic clothes and shoes. This is important to me why?
When T talks about anxiety she makes it seem like an unwanted guest that shows up in times of stress to protect us. My mission is to make the guest only show up when I really need to Fight or Flight ... not when  they run out of broccoli at the IGA.

I have homework. If I do my homework everyday I feel like I can actually banish a lot of the stronger symptoms of being anxious and stressed. The first week my home work was  to be present. This task is a lot less wankier harder than you think. So I had to live right in the moment ... not think about what was happening tomorrow, not organise the kids schedule in my head, not  plan how my next day at work was going to go. I also couldn't dwell on the past recent or otherwise.
So if  I was helping Lu with her homework, I was noticing the words and text etc. If  was driving Bear to Rugby I was either talking to him or really taking in the scenery. The deal was to be aware of my senses and bring my scattered brain back to centre. The ultimate deal is to do this more and more so that I am much more focused on the task at hand in general.

This week my homework has been to try 10 daily nurturing habits. Nurturing habits are things you do that nurture your brain. It usually involves your senses as well. For example some of mine are looking at the view from the Sports Tower where I work when the sun is shining. Putting on and smelling perfume everyday. Getting a hug from the kids (an noticing how their hands or arms  feel around my neck  me. Sitting against the big feather down pillow on my bed. You get the idea, these habits don't involve money (although I reckon a  pedi  could nurture my soul)  or a lot of time.

T also recommended an  app  for my mob called The Mindful Buddha (its also a book and on twitter). The app guides you through mind and breathing exercises but frankly I am struggling to get all my homework as well as my life done so I am not really using the app at the mo. Maybe if I gave up instagram I may have time for The Mindful Buddha. Maybe I should prioritise my iPhone mucking around time.

I feel like lots of the information T gives me I have heard before. Except I haven't its just that it makes such good sense to me. It resonates with how I am and how I want to live. I feel like with the right tools I could live a much more peaceful life.

So anyway I am suppose to take a list of my life expectations to my next appointment.

Note to self ... get some life expectations ... quick!



PS Anxiety and depression can go hand in glove ...  I thank my lucky lucky stars and the great cosmic lottery that I don't suffer the debilitating symptons of depression. I know lots of people who do and this post in no way minimises  the use of medication  or counselling to deal with that black dog of a disease.
Love ya
Ex