Making A Plan

So where I live, the weather is beginning to get cooler. With cooler weather, many of us will probably find it a little more difficult to exercise and practice facing our fears outdoors. However, it is still important to get outside and practice, especially if our anxiety gets worse when we go outside.

So, what do we need to do? My therapist asked me this and honestly, I wasn’t sure. To say that I now know how I will handle this would be a lie. I admit, that as difficult as it is to sometimes get myself motivated enough to go outside and practice when it’s warmer out, it’s even harder to do when it isn’t as warm. The thing is though, that none of us can really afford to slack off and allow our anxiety to take over.

We need to make a plan. My plans so far involve practicing and exercising more inside than I usually do, trying to walk at least a little outside, and trying to go to more places like restaurants, etc.

Doing things in the fall and winter to work on getting through our anxiety may seem a bit more challenging, but it’s still something we need to work on. I wish you all the best and if anyone has any advice on how to practice and exercise outside during the cooler months, please let me know. Thanks!

Satisfaction

There is nothing wrong with needing help sometimes to get through our struggles and asking those we trust for assistance and support. However, when we do something on our own, even if it’s difficult, we feel a level of accomplishment that usually falls nothing short of amazing.

Take this morning, for example. I did something that I usually struggle with all on my own without any help. While there were points where I got anxious, I asked God to help me get through what I was going through and I believed in myself. Eventually, I got what I needed to get done, done.

What did this help show me? This helped show me that even through experiencing anxiety, I do have the strength and ability to get through these stressful times. Now, am I saying this means that I’ll never ask for help from others again? No.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to never need assistance again when it comes to dealing with my anxiety. To be honest, I wish I didn’t struggle with irrational anxiety and fears ever again. However, I know that getting through anxiety is a process and often one that’s longer than one wishes. My point is though that we do have the strength to get through this and eventually, if we keep trying our hardest, we will!

We need to show ourselves that we can get through our times of stress. If we need to ask help of those we trust, that’s fine, as long as we remember that our ultimate goal is to become more independent and count on ourselves to get through our fears.

*I ask that everyone please remember to thank those in your lives who are supportive and help you in your journey to be free from whatever negativity holds you back. There are so many individuals out there who struggle to find people who are supportive and we should be grateful for all those in our lives who are. I want to thank my family and friends who support me, including all of you here who read my blog! Please feel free to read the poem Kim and I wrote about invisible friends (friends that we never meet, but still mean the world to us!).

 

 

 

Invisible Friends: A Poem

Image can be found here

I first “met” Kim through her blog, The Lavender Letters. Ever since Kim first commented on my blog, she’s been nothing but kind. We soon began communicating through email and I realized just how much we have in common. She is one of the most positive people I have ever encountered through blogging and she is extremely talented. Both Kim and I write poetry and I thought it would be wonderful if we were to work together to create a poem about friendship.

Having a meaningful friendship online isn’t always easy. Because no one can ever really know someone without meeting them and slowly learning if they can trust them, one has to be safe and yet willing to share kindness. There needs to be a balance; we need to share our experiences, while still being cautious. While we may not always be able to meet someone in person due to safety reasons, we can still make connections and that is what the poem Kim and I wrote together is all about.

A friend is someone who you feel you can count on and who offers understanding and kindness. I consider Kim a good friend, as well as a lot of other bloggers I speak to. I hope you all enjoy reading this collaborative poem by Kim and I. Thank you!

Invisible Friends

By: B.G. and Kim

Part of me regrets
That we’ve never met
And that we’ve only talked
Through words on an electronic page

We speak through wires and keys
Thoughts flowing with ease
Yet we are like birds
Locked within this cage

Yet here you are before me
Words written to share glimpses
Of your soul that speaks,
Getting to know you.

To find a friend not met
To share a virtual talk across worlds
Our paths may never cross perhaps
Except through a sentence or two.

For as much as we may want to meet face to face
We need to remember the importance of being safe
For in this world there are those less than kind
Those who do not know the true value of a friend

But you have managed to constantly brighten my day
With the constant words of kindness that you say
You’re always there offering a helping hand
Full of advice you find in your heart to lend

But in the quiet space when I feel lost
I know your invisible thoughts come to reach me
To give me the gift of support,
To tell me I’m not so alone.

And in a world of pain
Where we need kindness to stay sane
I look to you for comfort
From the coldness I sometimes feel

And in every word you type
You make it all alright
For having someone understand
Can have the amazing power to heal

*B.G. is the author of Getting Through Anxiety. Thanks for reading my blog!

**Kim is the author of The Lavender Letters, Peace, Love and Patchouli, and thereinventionintention. Please check out these great blogs!

Words that keep me motivated to workout

Amrita Kinne from amritadidthis wrote this wonderful post filled with motivational quotes to exercise! I recommend checking out her blog! Thanks.

Lesson Learned: Celebrate YOU

Here’s some great advice I found on The Curious Gemini. Thanks Lapaka!

Take some time out today to pat yourself on your back and celebrate your small victories. Don’t wait for anyone to tell you that you are great or for them to praise you for a job well done.

Happy Weekend

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How I’m Learning to Stop Overthinking, and Start Living

Once again Jt has written an amazing post! I think a lot of us who struggle with anxiety tend to over think and Jt has some great advice for getting through this! Please check out her amazing blog!

Bipolar Disorder Group

I live in my head a lot and I’ve recognized it’s been holding me back my whole life. I have the ability to turn small, inconsequential things into something bigger and scarier than they actually are. And good things? They aren’t so good after I’ve been able to pick them apart. Once I recognized that over thinking was holding me back from living a full life, I decided I needed to do something about it, and here’s what I’ve learned so far:

Learn That I Can’t Control Everything

Over thinking is a form of trying to control things for me. I try to come up with every possible scenario in advance so I don’t make a mistake and look like an idiot in front of anyone. Learning to let go and stop trying to control the outcome has allowed me to take action without fear. I know that even if I…

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Labyrinth Spill and Getting Through Anxiety: A Comparison

Okay, so I just accomplished something I’m quite proud of and all while concentrating on the game of Labyrinth Spill. Now for those of you who aren’t familiar with the game, let me try to explain. The goal of Labyrinth Spill is to navigate a marble by using knobs to tilt a board that is filled with holes. The goal is to make it to number 60 on the board and if you’re really good at the game, get the marble back to number one.

First of all, the game proved to be a great distraction. To be really good at the game you have to have good hand-eye coordination and concentration. Being focused on something like a game of Labyrinth Spill instead of your anxiety is a great way to get through your anxiety all while doing something challenging and fun!

I also realized while playing Labyrinth Spill that the game itself is much like getting through anxiety. Getting through anxiety takes small, but consistent steps in order to get to your ultimate goal and so does Labyrinth Spill. Also, because of all the holes in the game, chances are that the marble is going to fall through the holes quite a bit before you make to 60 and then hopefully back from there. Getting through anxiety is similar because often times we have to deal with obstacles. However, when the marble falls through the holes in Labyrinth Spill or when we struggle with anxiety, we don’t give up, we pick the marble or ourselves up and we start over again! With consistent practice, we can succeed at Labyrinth Spill and we can get through our anxiety!