What to do instead of freaking out

 

  1. Acknowledge your feelings but remind them that you’re in charge. Think of them as a two year-old who needs reassurance and a bit of loving firmness.
  2. Remember, you have felt like this before; and it was all ok.
  3. If in doubt, stick to your usual plan/routine.  (The one you made before your brain was flooded with adrenalin). But
  4. Don’t try to do too much. It’s tempting to over schedule when you’re stressed, but you need downtime too.
  5. Work out what ‘downtime’ looks like for you and schedule it. Favourite music. Organising drawers. Walking. Cooking something. A film. Patting your dog.
  6. Talk yourself down.  Again, think of the two year-old.  Simple directions, one at a time. And it helps to say it out loud.
  7. Pray.  If you feel frozen, ‘help’ is fine, the Holy Spirit will do the rest.
  8. Get to know your triggers; and plan accordingly.  For example: if you can’t handle loud noises, bring along some ear plugs or something else to listen to. If you dread social situations, ask a friend to keep you company or set a time limit for how long you will stay.
  9. When you’re doing something that presses your buttons, try to make space around it so you can recover and recharge.
  10. When things are stressful, lower your expectations of yourself.
  11. Make an anxiety hierarchy, from easy to hard. Start with the easiest, then gradually work through.  Make a note of how you felt before, during and after.  Remind yourself that the feelings passed — and they will again.
  12.  Carry something that will anchor you and help you focus on something else.  A sudoku.  A memory verse.  A bracelet. Paper to draw/write on.  Playdough to fidget with. A ring you can twist. A scent.
  13. Listen to music that will help to slow.
  14. Regulate your breathing
  15. Make a list: Things you find on a beach; Favourite films; Green-coloured foods.
  16. Limit your exposure to social media/news/upsetting stories, at least for a time.
  17. Talk to someone. If you can’t articulate what you feel, just say ‘I’m really struggling and I could use…prayer/company/reassurance etc’
  18. Make a list of the things you are thankful for.  Then tell the Lord.
  19. Question your perspective.  Ask yourself, what would Paddington Bear do? (works for me).
  20. Talk to yourself as if you were a very good friend.

 

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1 thought on “What to do instead of freaking out

  1. When I saw this on Facebook, I grinned. Then I opened the post and saw the gif. And grinned again. Hahahahaha – the gif is totally spot on (closetly wondering if I might or might not have sparked this off again. Cause I know I’ve sparked off posts before. Haha.)

    11: sounds like therapy. Haha. Then the top rungs freak me out …
    17: does that count if it’s an Emma on a virtual level? (freak out even more, because feeling like burden. But thankfully, Emma is the sweetest! & yes I talk in 3rd person a Lot.)
    19: Paddington Bear eats marmalade!!! Or would eat marmalade. But I prefer berry jam. Haha.
    20: sounds like therapy again!!! Actually various people have given me this best-friend-logic advice in various times but I can’t get it to work on myself (“I’m not my best friend, I’m different from other people ..” etc) … working on that ..

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