Meal planning

Upsidedown_Bear

With regard to your anxiety you might find this useful
Anxiety Forum

mummytofour

I have suffered with really poor MH at stages and I still have to work hard to keep it under control. Anyway, something that does help me is guided meditation on you tube, I really can not speak highly enough of how much a difference it can make to you.

Also, I would suggest looking at future learn, there are loads of really interesting short courses that you can do for free online. I think it is easy to get so focused on job hunting and struggling to get by that, we over think things. I really like the future learn courses as the layout is so easy and you get to chat with other people doing the course, it might give you something else to focus on for a little while so your not so overwhelmed about the job situation. xx

SophieLoui23

Thank you all so much for your replies!

Today has been a bit of a funny one, but in a good way. I answered an online advert this morning, looking for temporary 'farm' workers. I know that when I have a routine, when I'm out of the house and active, my outlook is more positive and my anxiety is so much better. So I emailed them and got a response pretty much straight back. So today, I've spent 4 hours working on a farm, mucking out animals, which is a million miles from what I'm looking for in a permanent job but I'm pleased to be doing it right now. They've asked me to come back tomorrow and maybe Friday & Saturday, plus they're paying me hourly so it all helps.

I'm just sitting down with a cup of tea before I head out again in the rain with the dog. Then my plan tonight is to look into all the above suggestions and make a list of my symptoms for my appointment tomorrow.

Sorry for the rambling. It just feels so much better to voice everything that's going on in my head and my mind feels so much less scrambled when I write it all down.

SophieLoui23

Mummytofour - just had a quick peek at this website and it looks fab! Going to spend some time tonight choosing one that I would like to do. I'm due to start my final year of part time uni in September (for the second time, having failed it last year which was in part due to my anxiety... I was writing the essays with plenty of time but then panicking that they were no good and not submitting, which is obviously a whole lot worse!) I think starting a course now would be a good lead up to starting again in September. Hopefully by then, I will be better at managing my anxiety. It's become apparent to me in the last couple of weeks just how long I've been living with anxiety and trying to suppress it

SophieLoui23

Just having a quick cup of peppermint tea before bed after a long day.

Woke up to a poorly dog, so called vets first thing and explained symptoms to them. They asked us to come in straight away and we ended up being there for an hour and a half whilst poor dog was having tests done, not that she seemed to mind. They had thought that she may have problems with her liver but it turned out to be a UTI (phew!) so she's now on antibiotics. Bit of an unexpected morning, with an unexpected bill of £130 plus I had to cancel a meeting with a temps agency. Luckily, said agency was very nice about it and I have said I will call them back to rearrange so I must add this to tomorrows ever-growing to-do list.

Spent 3 hours on farm (had planned to spend 4, but hey). After a stressful morning, my chest did feel v tight for most of the day and I was worrying about my docs appt in the afternoon. I almost cancelled a few times but I had to have my blood pressure checked and pick up another 6 months of my pill, so I knew I had no other choice but to go. Doctor said that she could put me on beta blockers or anti-depressants for the anxiety symptoms but that it would be a long term thing (over 9 months) and that it wouldn't get to the root of the issue. So she's given me some details for free CBT through 'TalkPlus' run by the NHS. I've got a form to fill in, so will get that sorted tomorrow too. I'm finding that writing stuff down and 'mind vomitting' really helps me feel more on top of things. So my to-do list tomorrow consists of:

[STRIKE]- Get up early and free exercise with friends[/STRIKE]
- Walk dog for 30 mins x2
- Submit invoice that I've been putting off for 2 weeks
[STRIKE]- Chase roofer for guarantee of works[/STRIKE] Have a feeling I will have to chase again
[STRIKE]- Call temps agency to rearrange[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]- Call second agency who left me a voicemail[/STRIKE]
- Pick up pill prescription
[STRIKE]- Fill out form for CBT[/STRIKE]
- Pack and post 1 ebay item that sold today
- Get money out for 'new' car
[STRIKE]- Put £10 petrol in courtesy car[/STRIKE]Only required £5
[STRIKE]- Remember pin and card to pay excess[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]- Collect 4x4 [/STRIKE]
- List 4x4 for sale
[STRIKE]- Spend a few hours at farm (aiming for 6hrs to complete my 'new' car fund)[/STRIKE] Not going to have a chance to get there today, so will have to call and let them know.
[STRIKE]- Tax 'new' car[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]- Call Hastings to sort out insurance for 'new' car (dreading this as I know it'll be a lot of hassle due to recent claim / new insurance policy nightmare)[/STRIKE] Called Hastings totally dreading it and they offered me a £113 refund! :eek: I was shocked and v pleased. That almost cancels out the shock vet bill that I had yesterday :T
- Collect 'new' car and drive home
- 1 wash load? (if I'm not totally exhausted by then)
- Text Dad ref Saturday
- Work out the best option for paying the TV license (it expires tonight!)
- Buy milk, bread, butter and dog food
- Remember to give dog antibiotics x2
[STRIKE]- Wash dog bed[/STRIKE]

FairyPrincessk

Well done! That sounds like a difficult day you've just had, but you've pushed on and have some positive results. I hope your dog starts feeling better quickly.

Your list for tomorrow looks tiring and stressful, even for someone who isn't suffering from anxiety. Can I suggest you try making a second list of pleasant things? Walking the dog or texting your dad might be on that list or might not. You might also add things like listening to music and having a cup of peppermint tea, having a hot shower or bath, watching funny or cute videos on youtube etc. Just small things that you could intersperse between your more difficult tasks. I'd probably save the one you're looking forward to the most and do that after phoning Hastings as you mention you're dreading it. A little mini reward!

SophieLoui23

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

Well done! That sounds like a difficult day you've just had, but you've pushed on and have some positive results. I hope your dog starts feeling better quickly.

Your list for tomorrow looks tiring and stressful, even for someone who isn't suffering from anxiety. Can I suggest you try making a second list of pleasant things? Walking the dog or texting your dad might be on that list or might not. You might also add things like listening to music and having a cup of peppermint tea, having a hot shower or bath, watching funny or cute videos on youtube etc. Just small things that you could intersperse between your more difficult tasks. I'd probably save the one you're looking forward to the most and do that after phoning Hastings as you mention you're dreading it. A little mini reward!

What a great idea, one I wouldn't have thought of! I'm totally guilty of making lists of things that I dread and never properly completing them, then feeling guilty for not getting as much done as I feel I should have. A 'fun' list may help break that up and stop the feeling that I just spend my day completing rubbish jobs :j

I really can't thank you (and everyone else) enough for the support you've given me so far. Interested to hear if anyone else has tried 'TalkPlus'?

Lucy5781

Hi,

Just wanted to say, I've been in a similar place myself a few times and I'd like to suggest a couple of little things that I think really helped me at the time.

Rescue Remedy - comes in mouth spray, tincture and 'sweetie' form - great for the really low/panic feeling momments. I also swear by the night time version, that's got me through some really bad 2-3am tearful episodes xx

Food wise, when I lived alone, I always made sure I had rice (instant or normal style) and a big value bag of frozen peas/carrots/sweetcorn mix type stuff. I'd have it with fish in sauce (bag cook things) or a chopped chicken breast with cajun spice or some sausages. Just kept it really easy for getting on with it.

And just getting out of the house. You seem to have done well with this with the farm work, but my solution used to be to go and wander around one of the nearby High Streets and visit the charity shops, this has turned into a bit of an addiction now but just being out and saying hi etc to the people serving me always helped.

Hope things continue to improve for you :kisses3:

Lxx

SophieLoui23

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

Well done! That sounds like a difficult day you've just had, but you've pushed on and have some positive results. I hope your dog starts feeling better quickly.

Your list for tomorrow looks tiring and stressful, even for someone who isn't suffering from anxiety. Can I suggest you try making a second list of pleasant things? Walking the dog or texting your dad might be on that list or might not. You might also add things like listening to music and having a cup of peppermint tea, having a hot shower or bath, watching funny or cute videos on youtube etc. Just small things that you could intersperse between your more difficult tasks. I'd probably save the one you're looking forward to the most and do that after phoning Hastings as you mention you're dreading it. A little mini reward!

Lucy5781 wrote: »

Hi,

Just wanted to say, I've been in a similar place myself a few times and I'd like to suggest a couple of little things that I think really helped me at the time.

Rescue Remedy - comes in mouth spray, tincture and 'sweetie' form - great for the really low/panic feeling momments. I also swear by the night time version, that's got me through some really bad 2-3am tearful episodes xx

Food wise, when I lived alone, I always made sure I had rice (instant or normal style) and a big value bag of frozen peas/carrots/sweetcorn mix type stuff. I'd have it with fish in sauce (bag cook things) or a chopped chicken breast with cajun spice or some sausages. Just kept it really easy for getting on with it.

And just getting out of the house. You seem to have done well with this with the farm work, but my solution used to e to go and wander around one of the nearby High Streets and visit the charity shops, this has turned into a bit of an addiction now but just being out and saying hi etc to the people serving me always helped.

Hope things continue to improve for you :kisses3:

Lxx

Thank you for all your advice! I've got a couple of meetings with recruitment agencies lined up on Monday now, so I'm going to remember to use Rescue remedy before I go in