I love all three of those singers you named. I go to Youtube for a dose of Gordon and Jim on a regular basis. I have to be really careful about the music I listen to. So much triggers bad memories or stir up to much emotion for me but those guys take me to good times in my life without touching on any bad times.

I write policy for a living, among other things. Sick leave policy varies from company to company and the question of extending the benefit to include sick family members is controvercial. I have had the debate with many clients. I suggest that if they don't allow a liberal interpretation to include family that employees will lie. It is always interesting because the women get it. The men, not so much. The women know that if their child is sick and no alternative care can be found on short notice they will phone in sick to stay home with their child. If they have to claim to be sick themselves to get the benefit they will do that so the employer might just as well allow sick days to include sick family members. Some of my clients prefer to provide additional days specifically to be claimed when a family member is sick and requires their care or needs to be taken to an appointment. Our Canadian labour laws are funny on this subject. There is nothing in the labour code requiring an employer to grant employees paid sick days (though it is the norm and all employees give it) but there is a legal requirement for employers to grant employees a minimum of 5 paid days per year of what they call 'family responsibiliity leave'.

It would be a good idea for you and your husband to check his employer's policy to both avoid misusing it and ensure he uses benefits entitled to him.

I love old classic movies so when the neighbours party in the summer and I am having a hard time coping with noise I will turn the volumn up and keep the tv tuned to Turner Classic Movies. Mostly I just need it to be commercial free so PBS runs a close second if the movies don't match my preferences.

Just keep remembering that it will pass. That you can talk your way through it when it gets tense. Focus on your breathing and release the stress with every exhale. It will pass.

I remember a few weeks back when my anxiety was really accute. I was working in the garden when a really loud truck suddenly zoomed by. It brought me to my knees with sudden uncontrollable crying. It took me a good 20 minutes to calm down. I was so wasted from it all that I couldn't return to my gardening. I had to go in a lay down for a while. It happened a few days after when an ambulance suddenly turned on its siren while racing down the street to the highway where there must have been an accident.

Yesterday I was in the garden and that same noisy truck flew down the street again. I only noticed it after it had long passed because it didn't bring me to my knees like it had weeks before. My anxiety is not as accute so my response was not as dramatic.

Certain sounds do bother me much more then normal people. I was out with a friend last night and a couple of times a noise would cause me to cringe. I asked my friend of it bothered her at all and she hadn't even noticed. It worried me thinking oh dear, my anxiety is rising again but then I thought, lets not make too much of this. So I am more sensitive to sounds. That's all that it means. I took a couple of minutes to close my eyes and focus on my breathing and breath long and deep for a couple of minutes just to restore some balance.

I think at the end of the day the thing that keeps the anxiety from getting out of hand is to be attentive to it and then being liberal with the antidote to level us as best as we can. Even if that is all we focus on for a time is staying calm and feeding calmness that is okay. We are honouring ourselves with acceptance and self love. Its good self care. Do what helps without judgement and without fear. Just take good care.