Lived Experience Forum

[Hyperballad]

One of the things  experience with anxiety is waking up with it. I go through periods sometimes when this happens every day. I wake up initially and I am fine only then a minute later a little, tiny feeling of anxiety then wakes up too. It’s only small. I may have a lot of time before I need to get up so I can go back to sleep, especially if I am still tired and want to enjoy some sleep. Except this anxiety has already decided it wants to start the day and that little ball of anxiety starts to grow and grow and I can’t get back to sleep. It’s a tough way to start the day. You want to start the day with a good feeling, an excited feeling. 

[Me73]

Definitely feel this and it feeds on it’s day by day vicious circle 😢 I keep trying though with all the tips and one day I will be sleeping through again. I have been through this before and overcome 

[8ppleTree]

Hi @Hyperballad and @Me73, can I say "me, too!' without being unhelpful? 

This is so well articulated! I also go through cycles. I do believe it can sometimes relate to health conditions (in my case, there was an underlying adrenaline response and a sleep condition that caused hyperarousal). Stress at work, in general life, can all increase these episodes. Sometimes snoring, allergies, pain, screen time, etc can even interrupt the sleep cycle, the adrenaline responses. I don't know whether you have investigated your causes? 

I hope you can find some relief. As @Me73 suggested, there are a lot of techniques for relaxation and regulation. One of the most beneficial things I've done for my mental health has been to create a morning ritual of gratitude. I was sick of waking up with dread. Now, I purposefully turn it to excitement, "Great! I'm alive in my beautiful life, with my beautiful animals/ppl/home/*joys*, Thank you, Good Morning!"

I play music, I light a nice smell. I associate nice things. Over time, all the good practices eventually grabbed onto the stress response, and helped limit it. I also limit my exposure to others in the mornings, although that may not be practical for everyone. Gotta say, it would be nice to just be able to roll over and go back to sleep! 

[Hyperballad]

Yes I have a range of tools to help. Oh love the idea of just rolling over and being able to go back to sleep.

One thing my anxiety does is makes me think something bad will happen if I just relax and don’t worry. Trying to train my mind to be in that space and be ok. 

[MermaidHair]

Hey @Hyperballad @8ppleTree @Me73, just here to say me too.

I've always struggled with anxiety on and off, although I only recently (the last 2 years) learned it was anxiety and since then it has gotten so much worse. Waking up with it is really something else though isn't it? It feels really unfair.

My anxiety is like yours @Hyperballad, I get convinced that I absolutely have to worry, like my worry is the key and if I don't then the horrible thing will probably happen, it's maddening.

I've learned the neatest little trick lately which basically is to just let my anxiety be, just feel it, accept I'm anxious and not dwell on or try soothe it. Now I must say it goes against every instinct I have and its rough! but it has really helped a lot.

[Xibon]

Hey @MermaidHair I love this.

Acknowledging and being okay in our feelings really is very powerful. I don't quite know what it is, but perhaps something about 'owning' those feelings feels powerful, or at least shows ourselves respect?

[MermaidHair]

Absolutely @Xibon , it is a really tough one with anxiety because it can be so painful and debilitating. When I first heard this advice I pretty much laughed it off, like how on earth am I to just accept and embrace shaking, panic, heart pounding, mind racing, the fear.. I really thought this has to be a joke. However since I started embracing my anxious self I have somehow, slowly, become somewhat less anxious, sometimes. It's definitely a win!

Respect could definitely be a part of it, I was so ashamed of my anxiety and I'm definitely feeling that less.

[Me73]

@MermaidHair that does sound counter intuitive but hey why not. Thanks for the tip. Today I’m really struggling. 😕

[8ppleTree]

Hi @Me73,

Sorry to hear you're having a rough day today 🙁 Here for a chat, if you need x

@MermaidHair, @Xibon and @Hyperballad Excellent ideas 🙂

I listened to a podcast last year by Michael Singer. In it, he speaks about the logical mind always driving for answers to problems. Problems based in our personal likes/dislikes (ego). All which are subjective! His practices talk about relaxing back out of the mind (it couldn't solve the problems anyway) and letting go into another way. 

https://open.spotify.com/show/4WK5XGUq8CxJkeILLur2LW

It's so simple but it really changed my thinking around my thoughts. I would start out at the first season though. 

[8ppleTree]

Hi @Me73,

Sorry to hear that you're struggling today 🙁 Here for a chat if you need x

@MermaidHair, @Xibon and @Hyperballad, 

Some great ideas about respecting where we are and aiming to step out of the instinctual response. Very uncomfortable when you're in it, either way. 

I listened to a podcast last year on Spotify - The Michael Singer Podcast. He offers practices around growing a peaceful mind, stepping out of the anxious drive and letting go more.

One of the things he said, (I can't remember which episode), was that we can't solve the problem with the logical mind, because that's where the problem is. It's running on a very subjective program of 'want/don't want'. It's not meant to solve everything. He offers practices to engage other aspects of ourselves that can offer other alternatives, rather than repressing ourselves.