Slower:  in these last few weeks, I have come to realise that the level of thinking that I do makes me extremely tired, and therefore, more stressed. Combined with a lot of activity, my stress level only increases so I have come to realise the importance of taking my days slowly more in order to help myself feel better.

Present: when I realise that I am taking on too much with my thoughts and activity at a moment in time, I stop and focus on the present surroundings. This can be what I am sitting – or more often recently, napping- on and how that feels, what the temperature is like and what nature I can see. This particularly helps when I am trying to get to sleep or when I need to relax for a little while.

Switching Perceptions – now that I am getting treatment for my anxiety, I have begun to see a switch in how I see things. I have been able to see more clearly that I can view things too negatively and fear more often than I should and I can have a more realistic view of events. This can be for example instead of telling myself that I am unable to do something, I can appreciate the difficulty of a situation and understanding that my emotions are part of my nature so it is not my fault if I feel anxious or depressed which not a way I had really considered viewing it as before.

Patience & Progress: It has not always been easy for me over the last couple of months. You may remember that I was starting anti-depressants a couple of months ago. This has brought on some unpleasant emotional side effects such as not feeling myself, feeling less motivated and uncertainty about what was happening at times. I had the assurance from doctors and other people who had been on them that it took a few weeks to notice a difference which gave me some comfort that it would get better eventually but sometimes, it was hard to wait that long. However, I am glad I persevered with them and that I have seen more and more progress over time and I hope that continued treatment will maintain and further this progress.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you find it helpful. As always, feel free to get in touch with any questions/feedback/comments, I always love to hear it. Stay tuned for the next instalment.

Until next time
K