nova84

This weekend I have experienced significant anxiety...and the cause...my work. I do a job that when people find out what I do they say 'I don't know how you do it...I couldn't'. So I am well aware that I have chosen a career that is a fast track to burn out and packed day to day with emotionally difficult issues but what is causing this anxiety is the work load. I knew that I relied on alcohol in the evenings and at weekends to numb myself and help my brain forget about how much work the next day/week will have in store. Now of course...I don't have alcohol and I am having to come face to face with these feelings of anxiety and worry and to be honest it has crippled me since finishing work Friday evening. In an effort to alieviate this fear and pressure in my chest I tried various guided meditations and breathing exercises. These did not help. However I came across a technique called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) aka Tapping. I have done this a couple of times over the last 24 hrs and it has helped reduce or eliminate the tension and panic I felt in my chest. Has anyone else tried this? And if so has it worked for you? Are there any other techniques that people have used which have helped them with anxiety?

p.s suggestions people may make about changing jobs...I can manage the emotional side of the job...it stems from feeling the need to be a perfectionist...going above and beyond to gain praise and recognition as I have suffered with low self esteem and self worth since childhood and no matter what the job I would feel the same pressure. This is something I am working on in therapy.

JD

I haven't true it or heard about it. I'm going to look into it. But I have mindful meditation to be helpful. But, out did take about a month of practice before it trashy started to help.

GroundhogDay

I've had success with acupuncture in dealing with grief. I try to carve out some meditative time every day for stress.

nova84

The 'tapping' is done on 8 acupuncture points...I was thinking maybe acupuncture could be something to look into as a result. Glad it helped you x

totfit

Exercise, the great outdoors, and eating right are the keys for me.

Anna

I used:

From Panic to Power by Lucinda Bassett
When Panic Attacks by David Burns MD

Both books have lots of good techniques for managing anxiety.

JD

Wow, I just read my post. So much for auto correction on my phone. I'm going to have to proof read better, lol

Jsbodhi

This is exactly what I was going to suggest as well

Soberwolf

Seconding Panic to power

Walking & Belly breathing exercises help loads too

biminiblue

I have also used EFT with a lot of success. It's interesting that something so simple gives such relief.

red3215

Thanks for the info.. I'll have to try the EFT although most my anxiety has died down since I quit drinking.

Meraviglioso

My mom's partner swears by tapping. She uses it with her clients and also for herself and my mother.

Zeroine

Distracting my mind is one of the things that helps me. Things like logic puzzles, counting backwards from 100 in different increments (eg in 7s: 100, 93, 86...), or learning a poem off by heart.

Relaxing manual activities like making soup, doing crafts or colouring.

Computer games. (Tetris has been shown in studies to be soothing!)

Good luck.

Zeroine

Have you tried deep breathing for 20 minutes minimum (timed)? No special technique, although counting in and out breaths helps. And to do it in silence. I found this very different from shorter attempts at deep breathing. Around the 10 minute mark my anxiety would actually get worse but if I kept going then by 15 minutes I would be calmer and my breathing much deeper. By 20 minutes I could actually feel really relaxed.

It was recommended to me by Anxiety UK, so I think it works for people generally as long as they do it for long enough. Worth a try, if you haven't tried it already.

nova84

I did find I felt worse with the breathing exercises...maybe I have to push past that and keep going longer...thanks for the tip x