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Self-Awareness. The Key to Success.

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Self-Awareness. The Key to Success.

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 466

Good job on last week, Dee! I'm working out the bugs on talking myself down, fine tuning it to what really works...but I think I'm slowly but surely getting the hang of it. Sometimes the path is frikken loooong...but, it's well worth it.

Better to be in a direction you choose, then to be stuck in limbo like I was.

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 778

Hi ya DB

. Well i certainly do agree with you . In the early days any pain , heart flutter sent my anxiety sky high . I would convince myself i had this that and the other lol .

Joe yes it does take pratice and lots of it , and that lovely anxiety certainy gives you enough of that !!!! I now talk myself down when i feel something coming on . Had to do it this week in fact , phew it was tough but did it .

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 34

I completely agree with what Darkblue is saying. If I start to have a physical symptom and then start to think oh no that is going to turn into panic, it inevitably does. However when I choose to ignore it and focus on something else it goes away by itself. I still mentally "check" myself often, through thinking how am I feeling right now but I try not to dwell on it if I can. Often it's easier said than done though....we are so used to thinking a certain way that the thoughts automatically come up after the physical symptoms, so I am working on the reaction to my thoughts. Sometimes I think if someone could read my mind they would be really scared(i.e. I think my body is just going to stop working, I always feel that when I start feeling panicky)...but then I wonder what do other people think about all the time anyway...maybe the same sort of stuff???

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1693

darkblue,

Thank you for continuing to share such inspirational words,

Members, have you found self-awareness to help in dealing with your symptoms?

Breanne, Bilingual Health Educator

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 466

This is exactly what I'm working on right now...and man-o-man does it take practice. I just keep telling myself, do I really want to go back to what I went through? That helps me push forward.

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 150

Self-awareness is not to be understated. It is absolutely crucial in helping us cope with anxiety, and potential it has the power to stop panic attacks dead in their tracks.

It's not exactly a talent or a gift. We are all self-aware. Anxiety sufferers even moreso than most people. That's because you're aware of 'how you are'.

That can be used to your benefit, or to your continuing struggles. Let me explain why.

I think it's safe to say that we all are or at some point have been fixated and obsessed with 'how we currently feel'. "Did I just skip a heartbeat?, Is my heart racing? Is it normal to sweat this much? I feel sick. I feel shakey/lightheaded/dizzy" The list goes on.

Those thoughts PROMOTE anxiety and that kind of self-awareness can be a negative influence as you are positively reassuring your bad habbits.

If you accept all your symptoms, you don't have to constantly 'check up on yourself'. OK, in stressful times (or maybe even without them) you might feel some of the above symptoms. So what? Have they caused you harm in the past? No. Will they ever? No.

So it's time to change your pereception of self-awareness from being a negative reinforcer, to a method and technique that can stop panic in its tracks.

And it's actually quite simple, but takes quite a lot of practice.

When you have that initial thought of "My heart is racing" which would normally lead on to: "Oh no, I'm going to have a panic attack. And I'm in public, and it will be embarassing, and it will be scary" etc. You have all been there.

Instead of letting that one thought ("My heart is racing") get out of control and lead to other thoughts that may well cause you a panic attack - use it as a signal. A signal that you will not let yourself let those negative thoughts start a panic attack.

So instead of the negative situation in the first scenario, you can rearrange your focus and perspective to make it turn out like this:

"My heart is racing" - "It's OK, sometimes our hearts race. It does not have to turn into a panic attack. Even if it does, I can deal with panic attacks. I have had many before, and none have hurt me. It doesn't matter. This is just one sensation I am feeling at the moment and I do not have to let it turn in to a panic attack"

By changing your perspective and using your symptoms or sensations as cues, you can readjust your mind from making it negative, to making it not so bad.

All you need to do is be self-aware. And I'm sure you are all self-aware anyway. You know what you are feeling.

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Self-Awareness. The Key to Success.