Observation

I described in my last post how I dealt with this upcoming house inspection. Its Tuesday now, and the inspection is on Friday. I have done a lot of cleaning, the house looks WAY better, but lots more needs to be done.

I described how I turned off the freaking out, put it out of view and go forward in a goal oriented way. It was working fine until yesterday but now.. its not working so good!

The panic is starting to bubble through! Argh!! I have found that playing music loudly is good for drowning it out but I cant do that 24 hours a day. All my methods of getting away from panic are not really working. I think the closer it comes to the day, the more pressure there is and thus my defenses are not sufficient. They are good for chronic things but not good for "the moment of truth" type situations.

What is the proper thing to do in this situation? (I cant ask T because i dont see her until Friday).

Are drinking alcohol or eating cookies and coffee good short term solutions for you? Sometimes simplifying other stuff - eat sandwiches or take-away off paper plates, don't cook anything fancy for a few days - gives you a break from normal routine so you can expend more energy and not get sidelined by usual habits. I'm gonna take another crack at it myself, these next ten days as people leave on holiday.

Ohh that is a good idea Hankster! Sort of go easy on myself like you said. I will definitely do that. TY

Try to stay grounded, remember to do some deep breathing and remind yourself you are in the present and you are safe. They won't be coming to inspect how tidy you are, just the general state of the rooms, so do your best with the tidying, make sure it's clean and just BREATHE!

I agree with asiablue stay grounded..... deep breathing.... like my t is always fond of saying "find your feet".....

I'm going to suggest something that my T always tells me...and I know it's hard, and I hate it when she says it, but it does help.

Instead of constantly trying to drown out the panic, can you just give it a little space? Give yourself a few minutes to pay attention to the panic? The more you ignore the panic, the more insistent it will become. Yes, this is that mindfulness stuff, but I've found that if I pay attention to the panic, it does lessen.

So - what that might look like. Just stop, and sit for a minute. Take a few deep breaths, and notice that you're feeling anxious and panicky. What does that feel like in your body - are your hands shaking, heart racing, sweating? Notice it and just keep breathing. What are you worried about? Name the things that are making you panic. Is it something you can do something about? If so, what? If not, notice it and move on. Continue breathing.

I also find it helpful to actually write down a list of what I'm worried about, and see where I can find myself some space. If I have too many appointments in one day, can I cancel or reschedule some. If I don't have time to cook, can I go out to get something. If I'm panicking because I have people coming over, what can I do to make it less stressful (put the dogs in another room, ask them to call first, etc). If it's something beyond my control, like a presentation that I have to give for work, then I list out what I'm afraid of (speaking too fast, not being able to answer questions, everyone staring at me) and I make plans to mitigate those specific things (slow down, have a generic "I don't know, but I'll find out" answer, pick a spot in the room to focus on, etc).

TY guys, I am trying out all these things