One thing that is a welcomed distraction to the anxious noise that fills my head, is reading. I am so in love with books and the idea of books. I always have a couple of books on the go, fiction or non-fiction, what ever my brain and mood desires. Reading has really helped me in resisting an anxiety attack on public transport, but if you do try this then do make sure it's a book you are seriously enjoying. I say this because you need a genuine distraction otherwise it's not really a distraction.
If you're having an anxiety attack and you try and read something vaguely interesting or you're finding it difficult to connect with the story then the distraction technique won't work. Your brain will be far more interested in the anxiety chatter in your brain then some plot-less book about the evolution of office supplies. (comments welcome on whether this book actually exists).
Speaking of books, I overheard a conversation the other day as I was waiting for the tube, it was about how we definitely won't need libraries anymore because of the e-book reader revolution. Now I'm not a Luddite and all for technological progress but I do have a particular disdain to the rise of e-books and e-book readers. Some things should be left in their original purity like period features of a house or the design of a hammer. Altering them alters their whole justification for existing.
I know there's probably tons of reasons why one should invest in an e-reader but I don't care. Here's my top 5 reasons why not to convert to an e-book reader:
1. E-book readers are dull- a monotone, flat oblong, hardly inspiring.
2. E-book readers are incompatible with humans- people look like idiots reading from it. It's like they just picked up a roof tile from the street and thought "hey why don’t I stare at this piece of slate for an hour" and "hey everyone look at me I'm really cool 'cause I've got a kindle and I don’t need to turn the pages anymore".
3. Traditional books symbolise creative charisma- they are the very essence of books- the illustrative cover, the thickness, the smell, the ability to flick through pages, the feel of a book in your hands- these things can't be replaced.
4. Book shops are progressive hubs- I would be gutted if the e-reader at some point down the long windy road, signalled the extinction of the 'bookshop'. Wandering around a bookshop makes you feel like you are a part of the world where humans are progressing, churning out shards of their imagination. You get to meet real people looking to buy real books, in a real bookshop.
5. Traditional books connect people- can you imagine a parent reading to their child from an e-reader? Enough said.
I'd love to say that a traditional book is better for anxiety distraction then an e-reader but this would be wholly unscientific of me, but I'll say it anyway.
Love Amelia.
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Monday, 1 August 2011
10 ways to break out of an anxiety bottomless pit...
Many times, when you're in the dense depths of anxiety, it can feel like you're being smothered by layer upon layer of negativity, hopelessness, worthlessness and a bleak future.
Try not get sucked in! View it as a challenge that you can be in control of and maintain this until you've ripped through each of those layers and made it back into the world as we know it. I've experienced some hard core episodes of the acute nadir that can engulf you and I know it can be difficult to find a way to break it.
Professional help can always be enhanced by your own pro-activeness. Here's some top nuggets that work for me:
1. Ignore the negative voices- build a mental brick wall in your head to buffer those thoughts.
2. Its just anxiety- keep reminding yourself that what you are feeling and experiencing is just anxiety, you are better than it.
3. Seek Support- make sure you have someone, whether it’s a professional or a friend, who you can talk to about what you're feeling and who will support you through the really bad times.
4. Keep active- not just exercise but have constant things to do, little things which you can focus on which will distract you. The worst thing you can do is sit alone and let your thoughts take control over you.
5. Value each day- live in the present day, if its bad then know that it wont last, if its good then know that you can and should expect more good days.
6. Value Life- it can be difficult when you are at your lowest to think about the good in life. But you have to believe that you are a genius creation with many talents, you are incredibly important to this planet and the people around you, you have an abundance to give in the future and there is so much to explore, so much to do- the world needs you to be in it.
7. Make a change- make small or big changes to your life. Wear colours you would never dream of wearing, start writing a book or journal, go sky diving, volunteer abroad, say something crazy at work.
8. Connect with nature- really look at a leaf; the petals of a flower; a blade of grass; the dimensions of a tree. Deeply inhale the smells of a summer day; feel the rain on your skin; cuddle a cat or a dog; deeply observe the stars in the night sky. You should get a an intense sense of being a small part of something magnificent.
9. Listen to others problems- be it a friend, family member or a work colleague. You'll realise that you are not on your own in facing challenges.
10. Laugh- try it and see the funny side of everything, even your anxiety; laugh at it; laugh at yourself; watch a funny film; read something hilarious; go out with friends who are positive and make you giggle.
I highly recommend the Anxiety UK website http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/ which provides a brilliant support helpline and information on how to get professional help for your anxiety issues. Until next time..
Love Amelia
Try not get sucked in! View it as a challenge that you can be in control of and maintain this until you've ripped through each of those layers and made it back into the world as we know it. I've experienced some hard core episodes of the acute nadir that can engulf you and I know it can be difficult to find a way to break it.
Professional help can always be enhanced by your own pro-activeness. Here's some top nuggets that work for me:
1. Ignore the negative voices- build a mental brick wall in your head to buffer those thoughts.
2. Its just anxiety- keep reminding yourself that what you are feeling and experiencing is just anxiety, you are better than it.
3. Seek Support- make sure you have someone, whether it’s a professional or a friend, who you can talk to about what you're feeling and who will support you through the really bad times.
4. Keep active- not just exercise but have constant things to do, little things which you can focus on which will distract you. The worst thing you can do is sit alone and let your thoughts take control over you.
5. Value each day- live in the present day, if its bad then know that it wont last, if its good then know that you can and should expect more good days.
6. Value Life- it can be difficult when you are at your lowest to think about the good in life. But you have to believe that you are a genius creation with many talents, you are incredibly important to this planet and the people around you, you have an abundance to give in the future and there is so much to explore, so much to do- the world needs you to be in it.
7. Make a change- make small or big changes to your life. Wear colours you would never dream of wearing, start writing a book or journal, go sky diving, volunteer abroad, say something crazy at work.
8. Connect with nature- really look at a leaf; the petals of a flower; a blade of grass; the dimensions of a tree. Deeply inhale the smells of a summer day; feel the rain on your skin; cuddle a cat or a dog; deeply observe the stars in the night sky. You should get a an intense sense of being a small part of something magnificent.
9. Listen to others problems- be it a friend, family member or a work colleague. You'll realise that you are not on your own in facing challenges.
10. Laugh- try it and see the funny side of everything, even your anxiety; laugh at it; laugh at yourself; watch a funny film; read something hilarious; go out with friends who are positive and make you giggle.
I highly recommend the Anxiety UK website http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/ which provides a brilliant support helpline and information on how to get professional help for your anxiety issues. Until next time..
Love Amelia
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