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ponies
Blue Jay
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05 Oct 2010, 7:08 am

I'm also exploring other ways to relax and help with my anxiety.

My way of thinking is, if I have a problem that is making me anxious, such as a dentist visit, why would I want to do something like a crossword to 'take my mind off it'? The problem is still going to be there when I've finished the crossword.

Or am I missing the point of relaxation?

In the past I have found things such as indulging in my special interests, like google images of the things i love and looking at pictures of my special interest to be especially soothing. Rather than taking my mind off my problems, I kind of 'soothe' myself while I still have the problem.

Does this make sense?



Kaybee
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05 Oct 2010, 7:32 am

ponies wrote:
In the past I have found things such as indulging in my special interests, like google images of the things i love and looking at pictures of my special interest to be especially soothing. Rather than taking my mind off my problems, I kind of 'soothe' myself while I still have the problem.

Does this make sense?


It does make sense. I suspect this is the healthiest way to deal with anxieties, though of course I'm far from an expert.

Anxieties are a part of life. Fighting them (struggling to push them out of your mind with various distractions) will not resolve them; the root will still be there, gnawing away at you somewhere--what a great way to suffer health problems such as heartburn, headaches, ulcers, etc. At the risk of sounding like a hippie--let it be. Do not try to hammer the anxieties down and do not focus on them. Let them come and let them pass. This may sound useless if you've never tried it, but with practice, it can be very helpful at stress relief. With practice and awareness of what is and is not a helpful thought, it becomes easier to let these anxieties pass through your mind without letting them stress you out in the process.


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Blue Jay
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05 Oct 2010, 7:41 am

Kaybee wrote:
ponies wrote:
In the past I have found things such as indulging in my special interests, like google images of the things i love and looking at pictures of my special interest to be especially soothing. Rather than taking my mind off my problems, I kind of 'soothe' myself while I still have the problem.

Does this make sense?


It does make sense. I suspect this is the healthiest way to deal with anxieties, though of course I'm far from an expert.

Anxieties are a part of life. Fighting them (struggling to push them out of your mind with various distractions) will not resolve them; the root will still be there, gnawing away at you somewhere--what a great way to suffer health problems such as heartburn, headaches, ulcers, etc. At the risk of sounding like a hippie--let it be. Do not try to hammer the anxieties down and do not focus on them. Let them come and let them pass. This may sound useless if you've never tried it, but with practice, it can be very helpful at stress relief. With practice and awareness of what is and is not a helpful thought, it becomes easier to let these anxieties pass through your mind without letting them stress you out in the process.


Well said



ToughDiamond
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05 Oct 2010, 8:53 am

The idea of "taking your mind off it" is that if you don't, you might start brooding over the worrying thing, and make it feel a lot worse than it is. Of course it won't make you lose your awareness of the bad thing completely, especially if you're like me and can't easily let go of a worry.....something inside seems to think that if it's a problem, I need to focus on it.

I also think it can sometimes be unwise to try to ignore worrying stuff......when the nasty event is upon you, you don't want it to take you by surprise, you want to be ready with some kind of strategy, and the best way to be sure of that is to keep your mind on it.

I guess the best touchstone is to ask whether the thinking (about the bad thing) is of the kind that leads to a fix, or if it's just senseless worrying. With something like a dental appointment, there's not usually much you can do to make it less of a problem, so maybe any thinking about it is of the harmful kind.



StuartN
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05 Oct 2010, 11:05 am

ponies wrote:
Or am I missing the point of relaxation?


Some aspects of being anxious are unpleasant - the problem that is making you anxious is still there, but relaxing will minimize the distress you feel.

Some people use the cycle of Thoughts -> Feelings -> Behaviour -> Physiological Response, where these four elements feed each other and can get out of control. Breaking the cycle by controlling one of the elements will reduce all four elements - e.g. modifying your behaviour by distraction, modifying your physiological response by exercise or meditation, modifying your thoughts through CBT, modifying your feelings through Mindfulness.