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Post by Redfleck on Jul 30, 2017 18:06:05 GMT -5
...tips? (aside from just exhausting yourself so much until you're too tired to even be anxious)
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Jul 30, 2017 18:14:53 GMT -5
I can only say what works for me but hopefully some of it could be helpful
- listen to a podcast, instrumental music, etc. silence makes my anxiety skyrocket - get a heavy blanket/duvet. works wonders. - distract yourself somehow. I like to construct a complex maths problem and try to solve it. maths has always calmed me down, it's very secure in that there's always a right answer, but any kind of problem that takes the right amount of thinking works - structural problems, logical problems, finding as many synonyms to one word as you can, counting up in, say, sevens, etc. the idea is to get the anxiety to fade into the background in a way that doesn't wake you up but engaging enough to take substantial concentration
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2017 18:16:46 GMT -5
I also suffer from anxiety and I find that the following sometimes helps: -Melatonin pills. They're all natural ingredients and you can't possibly overdose on them. I usually take one or two right before going to bed and it really helps my sleep quality/helps calm my thoughts. Theanine is another all-natural alternative pill I use.
-Lavender oils and lotions. The scent of lavender helps to ease the mind off to sleep. I find after using it regularly for awhile your brain sort of adapts to it and starts to recognize that lavender scent = sleep time. Also the cooling feeling of the oils/lotion really helps.
-Breathing exercises. If you find your mind is wandering, try focusing on breathing. I find if you breathe in for a count of 4, hold it for a count of 4, and then breathe out for 4, it really helps you go into sleep mode/distracts you from other thoughts/anxiety.
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Post by Brownie on Jul 30, 2017 18:21:14 GMT -5
read books before bed or do a quiet, kinda dark activity that puts you at ease. Electronics are bad but anything else in dim light is good.
Sometimes I try and make up a dream. Like just fall back into a fantasy world of your own creation and try to dream yourself into it.
also like Ree says, having a heavy blanket really helps make you feel safer. Like a big hug.
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Post by indecisive on Jul 30, 2017 18:22:08 GMT -5
- use a heavy blanket. weighted vests/blankets are actually a thing and I've found them to be quite helpful. - melatonin pills. I take three each night to help me fall asleep and stay asleep, as I've always been a night owl and restless sleeper and it's only gotten worse with the onset of anxiety. Mine was prescribed to me, but I don't think you need a doctor's note to use them? - don't look at screens, especially backlit ones, for at least an hour before bed. screens tend to wake up your brain and make getting to sleep more challenging. - a sleep mask. sometimes I use this to trick myself into falling asleep, since I seem to be sensitive to even the tiniest bit of light. - white noise. if it gets too warm in my room, I turn on a small fan to generate some background noise. I live by the ocean, so usually opening my window a bit and listening to the waves calms me enough to go to sleep.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2017 18:24:04 GMT -5
for me, i just use sleep aids. melatonin usually, sometimes heavier stuff. ive also started light work outs about an hour before bed, a few weight lifts and core strengthening. seems to help falling asleep faster so i dont have time to start imagining horrific scenarios
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2017 18:25:56 GMT -5
oh right and like indecisive said, white noise helps a lot. i cant sleep without a fan right next to my bed
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Post by Turin not Torino on Jul 31, 2017 0:44:42 GMT -5
I'm already on pretty heavy sleep meds from the start, but when they don't work:
If my thoughts are racing, I take the melatonin. It seems to slow the racing thoughts down, usually in about 20 minutes.
If I'm just flat out not tired, I take a Sleep MD. They seem to work best for me, though my husband swears by Unisom.
DON'T look at the clock. The more you look at the clock, and the more time you notice goes by, the worse the anxiety gets, because you realize "Now I'm only going to get x amount of sleep".
Definitely agree with the white noise thing (I use a box fan), and the heavier cover.
I usually leave the TV on as background noise, though music might work too. Just make sure it's not music you know the words to, or your brain will start singing along and keep you up.
If you are wondering about something you could easily look up (like the name of a character in a movie), sometimes it's worth it to just get up and look up the answer, to give your mind a resolution.
I also find that getting up and eating something small that you can make in the dark helps. I usually go for a snack sized bag of chips since there's no prep involved.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2017 2:17:54 GMT -5
i play video games or watch anime until i pass out
listening to music faintly in the background and closing ur door and whatnot helps drink some water and do that dumb awareness exercise of feeling ur toes then feet etc.) if ur rlly strugglin
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Post by Redfleck on Jul 31, 2017 16:55:22 GMT -5
@singingpaw Turin not Torino @annab indecisive Brownie ✨ Տեმɾ✨ 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯Thanks everyone! Apparently listening to music/other brain-filling distractions there are common.... Usually on the internet you see stuff like, "not using your phone before bedtime," or "cutting down on caffeine," and whatnot lol. As if we didn't know those already. Again, thanks guys.
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