Strategies That Work For Me #1

Ironically if a person is having severe troubles they need help now. But in a crisis is EXACTLY when you are LEAST likely to be able to navigate the system to get help.... For me, I try to deal with one thing at a time with strategies I build up that work for me.  I know that if I can find just a little safe place and relief somehow, somewhere, I can *break the cycle* of anxiety and ease the bipolar flexuations.   Once I *break the cycle* I can find some relief from the pressure I can rest and let my body and mind recover a little. Then I may be able to go back into life with a little proper perspective. Sometimes I just have to call someone or take the rest the day off. It IS like being sick and once I realized(and believed that inside) I am more comfortable with that outcome.   Do you have a safe place where you feel you can recover? Some of my strategies that work for me(anxiety an bilpolar(mania and depression):-My issue with staying where I am anxious is I cannot *break the cycle*. I just get sucked into the same old patterns of anxiety and head noise. The environment just keeps me obsessed about the problems and I reenact the same old anxious scripts.  As silly as it sounds, I do the same destructive habits over and over.  This seems very common for people. So I look for a place to *break the cycle*... -I have some public places which are easier to get to during the day. Like a starbucks or bookstore with chair back in a corner somewhere. In school it was the library. -I like sitting in my car and eating lunch, having a starbucks and listening to a brainless sport show just to *distract my mind* for a few minutes to remove some of the of anxiety. My car let's me kind of separate myself for a quick breather. I find I cannot listen to news or talks shows. -I have a favorite chair at home. I often put on a cold pack on my neck or forehead or chest and cool off. In winter I use a heat pack to relax my neck or forehead. The problem for me at home is family or back when having roommates, that every one is running around, making noise or asking me stuff.  -For me, sometimes ANY noise is agitating. Putting on headphones to zone out there is good for me, especially noise cancelling headphones. However even music can be agitating. When I cannot find anything to listen too, that is my queue that I am too agitated for ANY noise. So I sit with headphones to block noise, I even use ear plugs sometimes although I feel a little self-conscious in public. -For me, light is a curse usually. Sometimes sitting in the warm sun is calming, but 99% of the time I prefer a cool, shady place. -Closing my eyes can help.-For me, heat is a curse usually. I cannot do anything if I am agitated my heat.-For me, I find relief in nature, like a cool place in the shade. I find laying down and looking at the trees swaying in the breeze very relaxing. Laying on the ground kind of makes me feel calmer too.  -And spritually, I try to *surrender*: ---I want to control everying. I trluy live that way but when I see it typed out it seems so ludicrous. ---I cannot read peoples' minds. And I do that a lot to tear myself down. But in fact, I now feel that when look at ANYONE I really have no idea what they are thinking. Case in point, do you think anyone looking at YOU knows how you feel inside? Clearly I too often feel alone inside or suicidal or whatever. NO ONE is rushing over to help, or you THEM! So really I feel that is proof I cannot read their minds and they cannot read mine. ---I cannot not make people think anything! ---I cannot stop rumors. ---Mostly, in any case I like to think of the word 'surrender' over and over. Any attempt to think I control life is like *nailing jello to the wall*, like *herding cats*. Those few times I can truly surrender, I find peace. Peace...notfound404