No Stress Ever

It’s Official- the Shop is OPEN!

I just wanted to announce that I have posted some fun necklaces or pendants for sale at the new Reality of Anxiety Shop! You can see the widget on the top left side of the blog, or you can get there by clicking here. I only posted 4 items so far so I can get an idea of how much interest there is before I go all crazy and bust a ton more out. Although I do have some that are already made that I haven’t posted that say “Bring It On” “I Can” and “Calm”.

I don’t want to just have necklaces, so I can do any of them as pendants as well that you can use for a keychain, a phone accessory, etc.

Also, I have been toying with the idea of creating customized journals as well. Journaling was the first thing I did to try to cope with the anxiety. I carried that thing around with me everywhere and flipped through the pages for references all the time. I listed my affirmations and important things I wanted to remember when not by my computer or not at home with all of my books. I am a crazy scrapbooker and so I may put some of it to use in the future.

As I’ve mentioned before, everything can be customized to say whatever you would like including names, phrases, and dates. Just let me know!

Visit the original post at: The Reality of Anxiety

Popularity: 12% [?]

It’s Official- the Shop is OPEN!

I just wanted to announce that I have posted some fun necklaces or pendants for sale at the new Reality of Anxiety Shop! You can see the widget on the top left side of the blog, or you can get there by clicking here. I only posted 4 items so far so I can get an idea of how much interest there is before I go all crazy and bust a ton more out. Although I do have some that are already made that I haven’t posted that say “Bring It On” “I Can” and “Calm”.

I don’t want to just have necklaces, so I can do any of them as pendants as well that you can use for a keychain, a phone accessory, etc.

Also, I have been toying with the idea of creating customized journals as well. Journaling was the first thing I did to try to cope with the anxiety. I carried that thing around with me everywhere and flipped through the pages for references all the time. I listed my affirmations and important things I wanted to remember when not by my computer or not at home with all of my books. I am a crazy scrapbooker and so I may put some of it to use in the future.

As I’ve mentioned before, everything can be customized to say whatever you would like including names, phrases, and dates. Just let me know!

Visit the original post at: The Reality of Anxiety

Popularity: 14% [?]

I’ve decided to be well for a whole year. Am I crazy?

That’s my only resolution.

Do you think someone can “resolve” to be well? More so, someone with a chronic mental illness that is alive and kicking? If 2009 is my benchmark then my chances look slim.

I have good reasons to be motivated.

• Other people are better off when I’m well. My wife and kids are much happier, and very relieved. I can communicate calmly with my business partners. I get on better with my parents and friends.
• Being depressed is miserable. Hypomania is great for a while – I get a lot of mowing done – but it ends in misery too. For everyone, not just myself.
• When I’m well I’m physically healthier. I’m more sociable and people like me more.
• Being well costs less.

I receive a lot of great feedback from people using Optimism. It has genuinely helped them to achieve better health. There is a simple reason – they are being more proactive. There is nothing magical about the software. It is just a helpful tool. The secret is the attitude of the person using it. They are determined to make progress. Many people use Excel spreadsheets and journals in the same way to the same effect.

That’s my message to myself this year – be proactive. Exercise. Go to bed before midnight. Manage stress better. Drink less coffee. Drink more water. Go outside. Manage my medicines better. And the list continues on.

I’ve been tracking my moods for a long time now. I almost always know what has caused an episode of illness, and what I could have done to avoid it. Having that knowledge makes mood swings much more predictable.

There’s no guarantee that I’ll be well for a year, just because I resolve to be. But it’s not a bad resolution.

Anyone else?

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Display your Affirmations on Washer Necklaces!
I have had an epiphany. I am so excited to share it with you, I can’t stand it. I just hope you like the idea as much as I do.

I used to work in an office 40 hours a week and would struggle with my anxiety every day in my cubicle. I didn’t want everyone in the office to know about my personal health so I would post pictures of random things that no one else would know the meaning of but me. For example, I used to have a picture of a footprint in the sand. This was to remind me whenever I saw it of the affirmation “I can take as small a step forward as I choose. There is no need to push myself.” Everytime I glanced at the picture I would think of that. I had a sticker of an upper case “R” on my computer monitor. This was to remind me of the positive affirmation “I respect and believe in myself more than other people’s opinions.”

This worked great while I worked in the office. Then as a work at home mom, I would post the affirmations around my bedroom and bathroom. However I found it embarrasing if any guests came over if they saw it.

So this idea is a way to carry those thoughts with you all the time- at home, at work, and on the go. Simply wear them as a necklace!

I have created these really cool hand stamped customized washer necklaces that are really popular in the crafting community. It started out as putting my child’s name on one and making some as Christmas gifts with family names and birthdates. Then I started to think about other things I could stamp into them and I thought of phrases that could help with anxiety such as:

just to name a few. But really, ANYTHING can be stamped into these necklaces. Initials, numbers, phrases.  These can be worn underneath clothing for privacy, or they can be as stand-outish  as you want with additional charms and beads. I only have one picture on here to give you an idea of what I am talking about, but there are so many other styles that I can do as well.

So here’s the thing. I decided I would share these with anyone that is interested. I have set up an etsy shop 

and will be posting these necklaces for sale in the very, very, very near future. I will probably only post a few to see what kind of interest there is. So if there is something you hold dear to you that helps you find hope, encouragement, or valuable affirmations, let me know and I can make it for you. All the details will be in the shop but I wanted to let you know it was coming so you could swirl the idea around in your head. 

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year! Are you thinking of resolutions that you want to do for 2010? I know I have. I am a believer in them. Do they work for you or stress you out?

Visit the original post at: The Reality of Anxiety

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Grinching Christmas
I don’t know why I am suprised, but the last few days for me have been filled with anxiety. I never even thought seriously about preparing for the family get togethers. So wouldn’t you know it Christmas Eve morning when I am supposed to go to a family Who-ville Christmas Breakfast, I am in pure panic mode in my closet. “What if I am sick and can’t eat anything and I ruin the breakfast? I know its so important to my sister and I didn’t want to be a downer…” and on my thoughts raced.

I tried to login to the website but my computer’s battery was dead. So I decided to nip it in the bud instead of letting it draw out all day long. I simply called my sister up and told her that I was having a lot of anxiety and we would still come, but I may not be able to eat much since I wasn’t feeling good. Worst case scenario, I could put it all in a doggy bag and eat it later.

There- it was out in the open, she knew, and I didn’t have to try to be perfect anymore. And then the wave of anxiety quieted. That was the worst of it. I still had more ripples here and there, but no more panic attacks. Christmas morning and this morning I found myself uneasy, but nothing overly serious.

I am always a mess during the holidays. I get so wrapped up in how they need to be perfectly memorialized events that the thought of me ruining them with my anxiety always creeps in. I am my own Christmas Grinch. For some reason I feel that if I am sick, it will ruin it for everybody. When in reality, if I was really sick, it would really ruin the holidays for me, and most likely just me.

So I will say it again, being open and honest about your panic and anxiety with those around you always seems to be better for me than trying to hide it and pretending like everything is just fine.

How was the Christmas holiday for everyone else?

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Featured in SELF Magazine January 2010 edition
Browsing through Costco today for some last minute Christmas gifts I saw the new SELF magazine edition for January and hurried to flip through the pages to see if my article was there. Sure enough, on page 120 a little paragraph about anxiety and my experience with sleeping. I was so stoked!

Don’t want to buy the magazine but want to check it out? Click here to see it online. They took a lot of information that I gave them and tried to summarize it all up in a few sentences so I feel as though its like seeing a movie without reading the book first. You get an idea of the plot but there are so many details missing. But its still pretty cool!

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The Best Blogs in My Feed Reader

I’m guessing that you’re reading this post in a feed reader, and this is one of many blogs that you subscribe to. I’m always looking for new, helpful, funny or interesting blogs to try, and I’m sure you are too. Here is a list of my favorites. Please add yours in the comments!

My Medicated Cartoon Life.
This has been my favorite blog for over 2 years, but sadly it’s slowing to a crawl. Perhaps the Bitter Animator has less to be bitter about. I hope so. I also hope he continues to share his life in new (and old) ways. In the meantime I might snap up another t-shirt!

My favorite in waiting is Dilbert. I’ve spent a good chunk of my life in a cubicle. Dilbert is a daily reminder of what I now miss.

Mental Health – Beyond Blue.
Therese Borchard is a prolific writer. I can’t keep up with the pace but I read regularly, and the posts are always fresh, original and helpful. Something to make you laugh, cry, or nod your head and say “Yes!”

Humor – Andy Borowitz.
“Obama to Iran: Abanon Nukes or We’ll Defriend You on Facebook”.
The headline alone is worth subscribing for.

Sport – A Cultured Left Foot.
I’m an Arsenal tragic. There are lots of good blogs, but this one brings intelligent insights to a fairly unintelligent game. (If you live in the U.S., Arsenal is a soccer team.)

Productivity – Empty.
There is a space in my feed reader reserved for a good productivity blog. I like MakeUseOf.com but it feels like a placeholder.

Design – Smashing Magazine.
The standard is very high. Most posts are interesting and remind me of how little I know.

Self-monitoring – The Quantified Self.
If you’re into self-monitoring then the enthusiasts are here. People are monitoring all kinds of stuff, using some amazing, inventive methods.

Please add your favorites and why they make your list. Don’t plug your own blog!

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Keeping the Focus on Others

I have been trying to write out a long post about my service efforts for this month, but I can’t help but not like the way it comes out. It’s like the scripture in the Bible about saying your prayers in your closet, as opposed to the street corner where everyone can see you. If you say them in private you do it because its between you and Heavenly Father. If you brag about it, saying them loudly where everyone can hear how righteous you are, than you are doing it for everyone else’s approval and that is your reward.

Matthew 6: 5-6
 5 ¶ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the ^ahypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

The idea of doing service this month is to take the focus off of yourself and think about others. Therefore, I don’t want to sit and list the things I have been doing to get kudos or nice comments, because then it all goes back on me and my focus is lost.

So I will just say this. I am holding my end up on the monthly challenge by being more thoughtful for those around me and by helping a friend in need. Its been harder than I thought it would be, but I guess that’s how all good behaviors are.

I hope you are finding the joy that comes with serving others. If you would like to share whether you participated in this month’s challenge I would love to know, even if its just to say you did it.

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Happy Holidays From Our Family to Yours!
I knew this month would be super busy with getting everything ready for Christmas, and I am so not even close to being done! However, I just finished this baby yesterday so I can get them out in the mail, and wanted to share it with you.

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Creativity on the Divinest Sense

It’s widely believed that mentally ill folk make a special contribution to the creative arts. I have to say I subscribe to that view.

Unfortunately the number of communities online, in this particular “space”, are few and far between. More importantly there is always more room for us to help one another, break down barriers, and engage with the world.

There is a site called Divinest Sense that has just launched, which looks like it could fill a good chunk of this vacuum.

The following text is a contribution from Meg LeDuc, the founder and co-ordinator of the site. Please take the time to read it and visit the site.

“I’m creating an online journal/blog called Divinest Sense as a forum for people with mental illness to express themselves through poetry, personal essays, fiction, and graphic art. I believe this site will break down barriers, both between people with mental illness, who are often very isolated, and between people with mental illness and the larger world. In such a forum, I believe we can demonstrate the richness of our lives and our community through creativity, a force people with mental illness so often turn to in order to make sense of themselves, their illnesses, and their place in society. Furthermore, I think that, by starting this forum, I will simply have the great opportunity to showcase some beautiful and profound art. 
 
Contributions will be published on the blog associated with Divinest Sense. That will give writers and artists the immediate gratification of being able to share their work with everyone on the web. I am considering taking the best of the blog and publishing a more traditional online anthology that may come out every several months (provided I get enough contributions). My plans for this journal are still in the early phases.
 
For those of you with mental illness who have hesitated when it comes to really stepping out into the larger world, this could be the opportunity for you to be a pioneer. I understand the drive to isolate ourselves that we with mental illnesses often feel, but don’t give in. The world will only be enriched by our dynamic presences, by our unique creative voices. Live confidently. Live largely.

For more information on the project, check out Divinest Sense . A full explanation of the project is posted there. There is also information about me. Most importantly, there is also a link to the blog. Check out the first entry! It is a powerful poem by an advocate for people with mental illness who is in recovery from schizoaffective disorder-bipolar type. 
 
So please, write, paint, draw, take photographs, engage in art, and submit the results to Divinest Sense! If you have questions or would like to submit something, contact me at divinestsense.media@gmail.com
 
- Meg LeDuc”

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