[BlackPup]

I'm stressed beyond belief with work at the moment. Really worried about triggering an episode but really just need to be able to get work done.... Having panic attacks about stupid things all over the place....

[blueoctober]

BlackPup; I'm sorry you're going through this. I had been feeling the same way the last couple weeks and it was awful. Working out seemed to help. I hope you're feeling better soon.

[Kymaro]

BlackPup - hope this at work settle down for you soon. It's no fun when you know you have to face stressors that can trigger. Takes a lot of strength to do that. Good luck. Take it easy on yourself while you know the stressors are there.

[MissMay1977]

I have found that when I am under a lot of stress that taking some extra time out each day to do things I enjoy helps. I meditate, read a fiction book,listen to music and exercise. Also deep breathing exercises help a lot. Breathe in through your nose to the count of 5 and breathe out through your mouth to the count of 7. Good luck. I hope your work issues resolve soon.

[BlackPup]

Thanks for the great ideas. Talked with T about how to reduce anxiety.... but still not able to get through all the work....

[ladyjrnlist]

Keep hanging in there and trying to manage your stress. Hope you are OK. You'll make it!

[OneRiffTooMany]

take care black pup, at the end of the day your health comes before your job.

[laur88]

You can do it BlackPup! You can do ittttttt!!

Yoga breaths, exercise, short breaks and enough sleep help reduce anxiety. My therapist has this concept called the "emotional bank account". Basically things that make you happy are deposits and things that stress you out or make you sad are withdrawals. You want to maintain a good balance so when you make a withdrawal (like working really hard on a paper) you need to make a deposit (like a walk, or a call to a friend, or a tv show). Hope that helps!

You can do itttttt!!

[BlackPup]

Working on that bank account laur love the idea.... just had a chocolate brownie and my outline for my final chapter!!!!!
Now have to start filling in the gaps.... grrrrrr..... tooo hard......

[kikki27]

Originally Posted by BlackPup

I'm stressed beyond belief with work at the moment. Really worried about triggering an episode but really just need to be able to get work done.... Having panic attacks about stupid things all over the place....

I have the same thing and it suckssending huggs your way

[sanityseeker]

So sorry you are feeling so much pressure these days. I hope you are able to find the balance between work and rest. We do perform better mentally when we take care of ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually. I know for me when I would be in that workaholic mode with tons of pressure to work even harder, my productivity level would suffer. I discovered that if I pushed work away for a day and focused on self care instead that I could make up for that 'lost' work day in no time at all because my productivity would increase from the rest.

Congrats on getting the outline done and hey.... pass the chocolate this way. yum!!

[sugahorse1]

hey BlackPup. Thinking of you. Please know you're not alone; i could quite easily do without the work stress right now. But once you've ploughed through it, things will be rosy on the other side

[sanityseeker]

How are you doing today BlackPup. Thinking of you and wishing you well.

[BlackPup]

Thanks for asking Sanity seeker
Exhausted and brain dead... but still trying to get work done... Have a few chapters with corrections to do and then one that still has a lot of writing... trying to do some of that today..... 1 month till the deadline....

[sanityseeker]

Sorry to hear you are still struggling especially with that deadline looming. Please try to pace yourself and balance your time between work and self care. I know it is hard to break from work especially when you are under a time crunch but if you take regular breaks your productivity will improve. I find that especially true when I am writing. I try to limit myself to 2 hours before I take a break for 10 to 15 minutes to meditate, walk to the mail box or spend some time in my garden. When I go back to my writing things flow much easier then they were before the break. I can really get stuck sometimes rewriting a paragraph over and over. Bordering on obsessive influenced by a search for perfection basically.

Here's an odd instant energizer.... lay on your bed with your head hanging over the edge. Within minutes you will feel more energized again and the time, especially if spent mindlessly it is restful too.

Wishing you well. I have no doubt you will meet your deadline and I look forward to a big celebration with you come March 31st. May every hour writing be productive and stress free.

Take good care BlackPup.

[Mac Murphy]

Hey BlackPup. I hope you are going to feel better soon. Mondays just wipe me out with stress and anxiety so much so that I just want to curl up in a corner and hide from the world. You are not alone in this. We have all been there. Peace and good thoughts coming your way.
Mac

[sanityseeker]

Was given this song today.... which I will share with you....

[BlackPup]

Originally Posted by sanityseeker

Was given this song today.... which I will share with you....

Thanks..... Definitely needed to hear that

[PT52]

Great song I think it speaks for a lot of us. Hope today is a better day, BlackPup.

[BlackPup]

Not getting anywhere fast...... not getting any work done and getting more stressed by the minute
Choices: keep on pushing and trying to get it done... or fail.... either way I'm in for a month of hell...

[sanityseeker]

Isn't there any way to get an extension? I can imagine how that date is haunting you and it makes sense that you are feeling overwhelmed. It is hard for us sometimes to acknowledge we might be over our head and believe we deserve accommodation.

Think back to a year or so ago when you functioning was less then it is today. You have told many of us to live within your capacity; to not push yourself beyond what you are able to do; to take care of you.

If this is making you sick then you may need to find out if you can buy some time to ease the pressure and anxiety. There must be another option somewhere between getting it done by the end of March or fail.

I remember back in the day when I was designing fashion and I was not well and orders were backing up and deadlines were looming. It was 4am and I was working frantically on a dress for a wedding later that day. As you can expect the bride was very anxious and not at all happy with me.

I was sitting crying, making one mistake after another getting more and more upset by the minute. It just kept building and building until I found myself staring at the big window across from me in my studio. I caught myself imaging jumping through to my death. The next thing I remember is finding myself laying on the floor beside the window in the fetal position crying uncontrolable. My studio was upside down and my immediate thought went to the dress. I rushed to see how it had survived whatever had happened to my studio. To my relief I had not destroy the dress. I was out of my mind. I finally admitted I was over my head and I did the hardest thing I could ever have done. I asked for help. I called another designer friend and asked for her help. She rushed over and helped me finish the dress and she even delivered it for me. I don't like to imagine what would have happened if she hadn't come to my rescue.

I am concern Black that you are trying to push beyond your capacity. If you are not able to find your centre again amid this stress then somehow you need to be able to lighten the pressure. It is so easy for us to think we need to just keep pushing through. We might even feel compelled in order to prove something to ourselves or the world. To prove we aren't sick.

I hope I haven't presumed too much by sharing how pressure has gotten so out of control for me that I became a danger to myself. I am not trying to scare you or add any pressure to your mix but please take a minute to consider if there isn't another way out from under this rock turning into a mountain before your eyes. Talk to someone who might be able to help you think this through. Who might be able to restore some balance to your thinking.

If for whatever reason an extention is not an option think about breaking it down into small peices and just take it one piece at a time. It has also helped me in these occassion to give myself a time limit for completing each peice. Realistic enough not to just replace one deadline pressure for another but tight enough to help you resist striving for perfection before moving on. It will never be perfect but it can be good enough to move on. If you feel anxious about moving on because your think it needs more work then put it on another list that, time permitting you can go back to it for another hit.

My thoughts and prayers are with you. May you find some peace amid the storm.

[BlackPup]

Thanks so much for your concern and also for sharing your experiences with me.... I'm sure that if its not done it won't be the end of the world but it will be difficult cos I will no longer be enrolled and will have to re enroll with no time left - so it will be a special consideration matter....
My supervisors all think it can be done... I'm just really struggling with this bit that needs lots of work and is essential to the thesis..... I just don't know how to do it...

Thanks for helping me get things in perspective

[sanityseeker]

I am confident you will figure out how to do it. Just believe in yourself and be real. Its okay to ask for accomodation. It doesn't mean you have failed. By the way what is your thesis about if you don't mind me asking.

[BlackPup]

Still struggling to get the work done, but mood is good... It really helps to get things in perspective - I am not my work....
Thanks so much for your support and kind words - they help me through the hard times at work....

[sanityseeker]

Originally Posted by BlackPup

..... but mood is good... It really helps to get things in perspective

What a blessing indeed. Perspective is a wonderful thing. It gives one a chance to step back and consider another angle that may not be so crowded by worry and panic. Those feelings can really get in your face but if you turn around you will be blessed with some new light on the matter.

I hope things continue to look up for you hun. I am very happy for you.