I FaceTime with my best friend while I work at home. I try to build in time during the week for something fun and healthy to release some stress too (like a walk, working out, reading for pleasure- including audiobooks, cuddling my dog, massages, etc.)
Find a long, involved project that is important to people and start on that. For me, it is doing genealogies for people. During COVID I did the genealogies of every person mentioned in the 1850 census for my county.
I'm trying to do a thing where I focus for short periods of time (15 min.). Basically, a shortened version of the pomodoro thing. It's ... kinda working, I mean, not very well, but I do get some stuff done so I'm calling it a limited success.
I love the ideas in this thread and I'm going to steal them.
this is personally what helped me: a month ago I added Wellbutrin to my meds and it's helped my anxiety and depression so much that I'm productive again. some people get the exact opposite reaction though.
a few other ideas that are not pharmacological:
-my phone is placed out of my site while charging when I'm working
-I created "bite-size" goals for my compulsions to read the news when not appropriate for me personally
-a clean workspace
-stretch breaks
Obviously not an option for everybody but I’ve dramatically reduced my consumption of political news and even muted a few key terms related to topics that tend to wind me up. Also, journaling has helped. And walking my dog more.
When I was ~12, I wrote short stories that would bizarrely, beyond any likelihood, become true.
I stalled on one about Dumpty the other day, but today I wrote a doozy about musk. I Was pleased at how well written it was & it entertained the hell out of me.
Hoping to do more: a real stress reliever.
Same. Junk journaling mainly. For politics, I used to be completely engrossed, all in, every night, but I can't do that anymore. Everyone says not to tune out, but to a certain extent, we had to. They want us overwhelmed and feeling defeated.
I had to tune out because it’s hard for me to resist commenting on some things, and that could get me fired. I don’t think regular people need a firehose of political news shot directly at their faces every day to still be engaged citizens.
idk how feasible it is for you, but limiting exposure to news on socials specifically helps me. Get engrossed in something fictional and maybe do a craft. I've been listening to actual play TTRPG things like Critical Role/Dimension 20 and diamond painting. Cuddle with Max <3
Same. I've increased my anxiety meds, trying to go to the gym 2-3 times a week, started forcing myself to go to bed by midnight. I'm not seeing as much improvement as I'd hoped but there has been some.
Spring and warmer temps so I can start working in my garden can’t come soon enough. I was able to spend about an hour today filling a new raised bed I built last fall with compost and soil so it’s ready when the time comes, and it’s honestly the best I’ve felt in weeks.
Gardening is key for me as well. I read (not news, and not on my phone) outside every morning while I drink water. The problems start when it’s cold or rainy (like today)
Be kind to yourself.
Break things down into smaller, less daunting tasks and take small steps towards productivity by doing easier things first to get going.
One hack I have that helps is to create consistent conditions for work specifically to activate other parts of your brain, so like, the same candle scent, same music, same snack, same time, etc. that way even if one part of your brain is struggling to focus, the rest of your brain gets the signal
You can also do this on purpose the next time you're able to relax or do something very fun, to be able to use it, like have the same song on repeat the whole time, every time you hear it, your brain will get a little boost by it, a little gift from your past self.
Try to do something finite and that you have control of. Take yourself out of the moment. Make a snack, look out of the window and plan something. Meditation and breathing techniques can help. Have something to look forward to in each future time frame. Know that you have options.
Be around kind people. I go to a local rally every Tuesday. We uplift each other in our resistance. I do limit exposure, but not head in the sand. That is what they want.
I try not to check social media during the day because that's a big source of news stress for me... I end up doing a lot of reading instead of doomscrolling. I also try to remind myself that our anger is what they want
I wish I knew how Severance has gotten so interesting because it took me numerous viewings to get through the first episode and I think I’m still only two or three episodes into it.
Discord chats with a group of friends because the chat isn’t frequently updated throughout the day but enough to keep you entertained. Friend scrolling versus doom scrolling.
Use the focus keeper app, a pomodoro timer clock with optional ticking. There’s a free version. Concentrate on the one task at hand for 25 minutes. Then a 5 minute break. Repeat 3 more times till you earn a 25 minute break. Do all this three times while blocking out all the bad stuff. Good luck.
I got the advice to pick one at-risk area in my local, physical community where I can do good and help people tangibly every day or every week. I picked public education. It does reduce panic and "overwhelm" for me to get out there and be active. So, passing it along.
Yes. I recently got re-involved w cat rescue. I am able to do a tangible thing, w results I can see on the daily, and it gave me the added bonus of finding a new group of like-minded friends. I can’t fix the world, but I can make the world better for this one innocent creature today: Starfish Theory
Michael Singer’s podcast. Daily. Guided meditation, daily. Pleasant quiet walking tours on YouTube or bird & squirrel feeder shows for the cats in the background, a comforting comedy re-watch in the evening (Derry Girls, currently). Limits for news intake lately, but hahaha. Yeah.
Take care of your emotional regulation first. Productivity will follow. Some tips: breathwork and meditation. Get out in nature. Walk in among trees if possible. Focus on your senses by paying attention to what you see, hear, touch, smell, or taste to bring yourself back to the present moment.
Freedom app. Timers. Friend time, even if it's just accountability texts. (Ahem.) Getting something to drink. Trying to take as good of care of mental health outside work as I can. Actual meals and not letting bagged food products get near me.
I find something to focus on--learning new skills or a project like knitting a scarf or remodeling a room. I also try to go to the gym daily. The exercise helps me, even if I'd rather not. I've taught a few people to knit to counteract anxiety.
During lockdowns I started a proj that would just occupy my hands &I didn’t have to think too hard. colors are based on pattern of covid in my city. I am a quilter,NOT a knitter, so I made it as simple as possible (all knits). It really helped w the worst of my anxiety. I just brought it out again…😬
I go with the four Fs. When you are activated in a fight-or-flight response (anxiety/fear), your body dumps sugar and fat into your bloodstream. To physiologically change your anxiety response, you need to Fight, Flee, Fuck, or (mindfully) eat Food. Breathe. Walk around the block. Have an orgasm. ❤️
For me, shoving down the panic attack or flashback or feeling just makes it worse in the long run. I like to use what Jack taught Kate in Lost (if I remember correctly), and give myself seven seconds to feel it, unfiltered. Seven seconds... feel it to heal it... then I can focus.
Comments
1) your body is responding to real stress, acting on that can be helpful (volunteering, getting organized with your union, etc)
2) I recommend this video from Rutgers:
https://youtu.be/UuvH_j9O0f4
this is personally what helped me: a month ago I added Wellbutrin to my meds and it's helped my anxiety and depression so much that I'm productive again. some people get the exact opposite reaction though.
-my phone is placed out of my site while charging when I'm working
-I created "bite-size" goals for my compulsions to read the news when not appropriate for me personally
-a clean workspace
-stretch breaks
I stalled on one about Dumpty the other day, but today I wrote a doozy about musk. I Was pleased at how well written it was & it entertained the hell out of me.
Hoping to do more: a real stress reliever.
If you're a writer? Just write one sentence. If you can't do another that's ok. But usually you will.
It hacks the same part of the brain responsible for doomscrolling or just playing ONE MORE TURN in Civ6.
Break things down into smaller, less daunting tasks and take small steps towards productivity by doing easier things first to get going.
That's my last 24 hours. So if you successfully navigated the universe without a full on meltdown today, you're doing great!