So it's official, British Summertime has begun. This must be the strangest start yet, certainly since the war.
I'm aware that in these scary times the anxiety people feel may be increased. I know mine is.
People who knew me before Lauren died will know I was rarely anxious. My younger years were practically overflowing with a laid backness that was horizontal. Nothing fazed me. When I look back at my young adulthood it provokes a shudder at the recklessness of my youth. With motherhood I became more risk adverse. But I still believed that if I kept an eye on the risks then everything would be okay.
It's hard when your life philosophy is irretrievably smashed. Learning that something can happen to ruin your life without any warning means that it could happen again...and again. That makes me scared and anxious.
I don't like feeling anxious, the nausea of emotion and the catatonic effects. I've found (or quite often been given) some things that help with my anxiety. I thought I'd share them on here in case they can help anyone else.
These are things that you can buy in the UK without prescription. I've nothing again prescription drugs, but these are the things that have worked for me and I'm guessing that getting in to see a Doctor at the moment is difficult. Also, I'm clearly not a Doctor so please don't take anything unless you know it's safe for you, our NHS has enough to deal with at the minute.
To aid sleep...
The magnesium is a spray that you put on before bed, it promote relaxation that leads to sleep. The Gummies I only use sporadically. They get you to sleep in about 20mins and keep you asleep, but you can feel sluggish the next day, don't use if you've got an early start....they're probably perfect at the moment! Also, something I drink before bed (other than wine) is Valerian Root Tea. The kids and Husband hate the smell, but I quite like it, and it definitely helps me to fall asleep.
I've also been swopping standard tea for kusmi tea as it does not contain any caffeine.
In terms of daily supplements my favourite two for reducing my stress levels are these.
The ubermag magnesium supplement has a myriad of health benefits, but the main one I'm taking it for is relaxation and mood enhancement. Likewise the Ashwagandha root extract, the herb or modern life, increases energy and reduces anxiety. Ashwagandha has been used for centuries to moderate our bodies response to stress. It's hard to quantify the effects of these supplements, but I feel less grounded when I've not had them.
Another useful item I've been bought is aromatherapy roller balls.
These are little roller balls containing essential oils to help sleep or aid calm. There are 4 different variations that I keep in pockets or hand bags and use throughout the day.
A wise piece of advice that I was given in relation to my grief, but which I think holds true for anxiety, it to avoid stressful situations. It seems obvious doesn't it. But sometimes I think the temptation is to push through a difficult situation with the thought being that to get to the other side would be somehow cathartic. This is not always the case, sometimes a difficult situation is just a difficult situation, avoid it if you can.
Be thankful it's another sunny day, but stay in and stay safe 💙
