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Cyberchondria - Don’t Google Your Symptoms

It’s a common thing to google your symptoms to try to find out the reason for your symptoms, however, searching for your symptoms can lead into an obsession called Cyberchondria. 

Because anyone can post content online, your search results may not be accurate. Sources you find online might not be published by a medical professional with experience or even credentials to give advice on the symptoms.

Cyberchondria is a vicious cycle. The more you search online for your symptoms, the more aware you become about your symptoms. Because you’re monitoring your symptoms, you can become anxious and manifest exaggerated symptoms.

Your exaggerated symptoms might make you search the internet more, and make your symptoms even more exaggerated. The cycle will continue to escalate until you’ve come to the panicked conclusion that you have cancer or that you’re probably dying. My advice is to stop googling for your symptoms and look for solutions instead. Instead of searching for symptoms that could have a number of causes, search for the solution to the symptom. For example, don’t search “coughing causes”, search, “how to relieve a cough.”

Another thing is to not to share your symptoms that you’re concerned about on social media, message boards, or forums. The majority of the people will not be medical professionals and will be just speculating on what could be the cause of your symptoms. They might suggest that you have a terrible illness, or misdiagnose you which could cause you additional anxiety.

If you are worried about your health and the symptoms that you have, try seeing a medical professional first. They’ll be able to tell you if your health is normal, and if your symptoms are something to worry about or not.

Educate yourself on your health, but consult yourself by reputable medical professionals rather than self-diagnosing your symptoms.

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5 Breathing Techniques for Anxiety and Stress Relief

While feeling anxious or stressed, our breathing rate changes drastically. We typically take slow breaths from our lower lungs, but during panic or an emergency, we start breathing shallowly and rapidly from the upper lungs.

If we aren’t physically exerting ourselves, prolong shallow breathing can lead to hyperventilation. That produces a lot of the symptoms during a panic attack such as shortness of breath, dizziness, confusion, nausea, and tingling in the feet or hands.

Here’s five breathing exercises to avoid hyperventilation and reverse symptoms during stress or an anxiety attack.

Abdominal Breathing – Natural Breath

Slowly breath in and inhale air through your nose, filling your lower lungs. Your upper chest stays still and your stomach will slowly expand with your breath.

Breathe out easily.

Repeat steps 1 and 2 in a relaxed (not forced) manner, remember to concentrate on only filling the lower lungs.

Calming Breath

Inhale slowly through your nose. Start by filling lower lungs and then the upper lungs with air.

Pause, hold your breath, and count to three.

Exhale through pursed lips. Relax your face and also the muscles in the upper body.

Repeat.

Practice this breathing exercise when you want to release tension and bring on calmness.

Breath Counting

Take a few natural breaths.

While breathing naturally count “one” as you exhale.

Inhale slowly and naturally.

Exhale and count “two”.

Continue inhaling and counting while exhaling until you reach “five”.

Begin a new cycle starting with “one” on the exhale.

You’ll recognize if you space out if you find yourself counting higher than five. Try to do 10 minutes of Breath Counting.

Measured Breathing

Relax your jaw and loosen your shoulders.

Inhale slowly through your nose while you count to four.

Let your stomach expand as you inhale.

Pause and hold your breath for a moment.

Exhale slowly while you count to seven.

Repeat as smoothly as you can for a few minutes to reduce tension.

Belly Breathing

Put one hand on your chest and your other hand above your belt line.

Relax and let your mouth gape open.

Gently exhale and sigh, relaxing the muscles of your upper body.

Close your mouth, hold your breath and pause for a few seconds.

Inhale gently through the nose filling your lower lungs and let the air push your stomach out.

Breath in as much air as feels comfortable.

Pause.

Repeat.

Practicing one of these breathing techniques each day will reduce stress and anxiety. Stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system through deep breathing will promote calmness in the body and mind.

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Keep Going - Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don’t you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won if he’d stuck it out. Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow – You may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man; Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor’s cup, And he learned too late, when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out – The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are – It may be near when it seems afar; So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit – It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

Edgar A. Guest

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Fidget Spinners for Anxiety and Stress Relief

Without a doubt, fidget spinners are the new craze of 2017. While there are a number of fidget toys currently on the market, the fidget spinner has currently surpassed all other fidget toys in popularity. Everyone is talking about it and Forbes has even put out an article about it stating that the fidget spinner is a “must have office toy for 2017”. The fidget spinner has become so popular that some schools are starting to ban fidget spinners as they believe the toy could be a distraction during class.

What is a Fidget Spinner?

A typical fidget spinner is a palm size gadget that has a two or three pronged design. In the center pad of the spinner is a bearing which rotates the spinner. The fidget spinner is held by the center pad while the toy spins. The most common spinners are made out of plastic, however spinners can be made from other materials like stainless steel, copper, brass, titanium, and aluminum.

Fidget Spinners And Health

Numerous publications and articles about the fidget spinner claims that the spinner benefits individuals with autism, ADHD, stress, and anxiety. Some individuals with ADHD need constant stimulation, so the fidget spinner occupies the need for stimulation so that the individual can concentrate their attention on what they need to focus on. While there are benefits to the spinner, there hasn’t been enough scientific research whether or not spinners help individuals from a mental health standpoint.

Does the Fidget Spinner Cure Anxiety?

Individuals claim it calms minds, and it’s marketed as a stress reliever, so does it really work? The fidget spinner is an excellent visual distraction and the sound of the spinning bearings occupies the mind and distracts you from obsessive thoughts. The fidget spinner is successful in shifting the focus of your scattered thoughts, but it’s not a magical spinner that will cure your anxiety immediately. However, because the spinner occupies the mind while spinning, it could be a short term distraction and one strategy to use to cope with anxiety on a daily basis.

Fidget spinners are currently in local toy stores, farmers markets, and on social media buy-and-sell groups. They are typically cheap and prices range from $2 to $15. Due to their extreme popularity, they can also be found on Amazon.

I believe that while fidget spinners aren’t a long term solution to anxiety, I think it’s a fun inexpensive toy that’s worth a try. I’m always excited to try new things to temporarily distract my symptoms of anxiety. Here’s some long term tips on how to reduce daily stress and anxiety that might be of a help to you.

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Anxiety and Feeling Vulnerable

One of the things I constantly struggle with is telling others about my anxiety and the daily battle of my anxious thoughts. Opening up about my personal struggles exposes me to the judgment of others and the feeling of being vulnerable by exposing my struggle is scary.

Vulnerability rises when I share details of what triggers my anxiety. I fear that my sharing might cause disapproval of what trivial situations triggers my anxious thoughts. I feel that others might look down on me when I tell them I get anxious for no reason whatsoever. I also think that others might think less of me because of my silent struggle.

Along with feeling open and vulnerable about my struggle, sometimes I feel shame about sharing what I need in order to cope with my daily thoughts. As adults, it’s considered a virtue to be strong and self-reliant. Evoking need is sometimes synonymous with appearing weak. Mentioning the things that I need in order to mentally function can bring on a sense of being needy or feeling like a burden to others.

In some cases, I avoid mentioning I am having anxiety. Anxiety is a complex battle and is difficult to explain to someone who doesn’t suffer from it. Sometimes when I do open up, people immediately try to “cure” my anxiety, or think of my battle as a problem that they feel personally responsible to solve.

It’s much easier to shy away from letting others know the circumstances that causes my stress and anxiety, but it’s a huge accomplishment when I DO let others know about my anxiety. Having family and friends who understand what I’m going through and are available to lend a listening ear if I need it is extremely reassuring.

Having a support team who’s there for you can help you manage the struggle of your anxious thoughts. If you have any tips on conquering the fear of feeling vulnerable, let me know in the comments.

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Music for Anxiety and Depression

There are many ways to reduce stress and anxiety. One of the techniques mentioned was listening to music. Music helps by occupying the mind, and helps explore the emotions we can feel. It also helps absorb attention and distracts us from unwanted thoughts. Sound therapy has been used throughout the ages as a relaxation method to enhance well-being and to help restore one’s health. Music with carefully arranged rhythms, harmonies, and bass lines helps by reducing blood pressure, slows the listener’s heart rate, and lowered the levels of cortisol (which is the stress hormone). Peaceful “New Age” music initiates the relaxation response in individuals. This type of music is typically heard in spas or massage parlors. Neuroscientists in the UK conducted a study and found that individuals listening to this one particular New Age song called “Weightless” reduced the stress in individuals by 65%. That’s quite remarkable! Slow classical music or instrumental music also has a positive effect on our physiology as well. Classical music has been shown to increase concentration while studying and helps cure insomnia if anxiety makes it difficult to fall asleep at night. New Age and Classical Music are two music genres that typically help in relieving anxiety and depression, but there are many other music genres that can assist in anxiety relief. Some people find relief in listening to Heavy Rock n’ Roll and singing or shouting along to release stress. Others find relaxation in listening to the laid back Country Music tunes. Music with melodic flow and progression such as Enya are used by individuals as it helps them work through their difficult emotions. For me personally, I listen to Electronic Dance Music as I find that EDM shushes my anxious thoughts. Some stressed out people don’t like the idea of listening to any music whatsoever while they are feeling anxious as they feel like music will disorient their mind. However, I encourage you to find the type of music that personally works for easing your anxious mind. You might be surprised at how much music can make a difference in calming your anxiety.

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Sometimes we just need someone to be there for us.

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Helpful Things to Say to Someone with Anxiety

Are you alright?

Most times a person who’s having an anxiety attack isn’t always able to tell others that something is wrong. Sometimes they don’t like to tell others they’re in the middle of an anxiety attack because they feel like they’ll become a burden. Asking if they’re alright gives them a window of opportunity to tell you if they’re ok or not.

I’m sorry you’re going through that. That must be difficult for you.

One of the worst things is to contribute to the panic and emotion that’s occurring. Becoming overly concerned or panicky about someone’s panic will only add fuel to their fire and won’t help. An anxiety attack can bring on overwhelming dread which can be physically debilitating. Voicing sympathy instead of concern is an effective method.

Please let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Genuinely offer support in the moment. It’s natural to want to take action in order to help, but most of the time someone who’s having an anxiety attack just need acknowledgment that you’re there for them during the attack.

Do you want some space?

In some cases people DO need quiet alone time to calm themselves. What people who are having an anxiety attack don’t like is to have someone assume they want to be alone and leave in haste.

We have time.

During an anxiety attack, people feel guilty that they’re not as productive as they think they should be. They can also feel unnecessarily pressured to quickly get over their anxiety attack to not “waste” others’ time and be a burden to them. Let them know that there’s no time frame, and that they have all the time in the world to recover to their normal equilibrium.

Can you tell me how you’re feeling?

Explaining deep fears and worries out loud during a panic attack can help bring things into perspective instead of letting those worries continue to spiral out of control. Be understanding and listen to whatever worries and fears are bothering them without immediately trying to find solutions.

Do you want a hug?

There is great power in human contact. If you have anxiety, you know that human touch can make you physically feel that you’re not alone. During an anxiety attack, a hug or holding hands can mentally bring someone into the present and make them feel like they’re in a safe space.

It will pass.

During an anxiety attack the symptoms can feel never-ending. It’s easy to slip into the mindset that the attack will last forever. Telling them that it will pass is an external reminder that the feeling is temporary and will end like it always does.

I’m here for you.

It’s not what you say that makes a difference, it’s how supportive you are that matters. A lot of the times what’s most helpful is to have someone who is understanding and can listen to their experience without judgment.

Be supportive. Don’t say anything.

The biggest thing people need during an anxiety attack is to know that they have someone who’s there beside them during their attack. A lot of the time they don’t need (or even want) conversation as they’re so focused on dealing with their own mind, so silence can be a way to say all the things you don’t know what to say.

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Cycle of Anxiety

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Things I wish Other People Knew About Anxiety

Even though I don’t show it, I’m always feeling some degree of uneasiness.

Fatigue is constant. I’m exhausted all the time.

Making immediate decisions are difficult.

If you want to ask me to do something, I’d like to know well in advance so I can mentally prepare myself.

I don’t cope well with sudden change of plans.

Most times anxiety keeps me from enjoying things as much as I should.

I over analyze situations because I’m scared of what will happen if I’m not ready for it.

It’s difficult to explain what’s going on in my mind because I don’t even understand it myself.

Fear of a panic attack produces anxious thoughts, anxious thoughts bring on anxiety which turn into a panic attack–the vicious cycle continues.

It might seem irrational to you, but what I’m anxious about is very real for me.

I worry my anxiety will hinder me from becoming the person I want to become.

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Reduce caffeine, alcohol, and sugar to manage your anxiety.

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Food to Avoid with Anxiety

Your emotions influence what you eat. When you’ve had a particularly rough day, it’s natural to want a beer or two to calm your nerves, or that pint of icecream to make yourself feel better. However, some food can do more harm in the long run and contribute to depression and anxiety. 

Become familiar with this list and try to avoid the foods that increase your stress levels and intensify your anxious symptoms.

Caffeinated Beverages

Caffeine such as energy drinks and coffee boosts energy levels, however excess caffeine can produce anxious symptoms such as heart palpitations, nausea, nervousness, and shaking. Caffeine also inhibits the brain’s levels of serotonin. Depression and irritability can occur once serotonin levels are suppressed. Caffeine is a diuretic and causes mild dehydration which can contribute to depression. Caffeine can also keep you from falling asleep, which can lead to anxiety and stress.

Alcohol

Alcohol is a depressant and interferes with producing serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood. Alcohol reduces mental and physical function, it also exacerbates symptoms associated with anxiety. While people consume alcohol to temporarily relieve symptoms of anxiety, it’s a toxin and does more harm than good in the long run. Like caffeine, alcohol is also a diuretic and causes dehydration which resemble the early stages of anxiety.

Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners

Although studies show that sugar doesn’t cause anxiety, sugar creates different changes in the body that can worsen anxiety symptoms and stops you from effectively coping with anxiety. Sugar spikes your blood sugar and the consequent crash causes mood changes, difficulty concentrating, heart palpitations, and fatigue. Those symptoms are similar to the beginning of a panic or anxiety attack. Artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame, Splenda, and Sweet ‘N Low blocks the production of serotonin, this causes symptoms such as changes in mood, headaches, and depression.

Excess Sodium

Too much sodium has a negative impact on the body’s neurological system. Excess sodium causes fatigue and does damage to the immune system. While natural forms of salt (such as Himalayan Salt) is important to maintain good health, too much sodium can trigger anxiety.

Artificial Food Additives and Preservatives

After eating artificial food additives and food that contains preservatives, people noticed that it triggered an anxiety like reaction. MSG is a common additive that enhances flavor and extends shelf life. However, consuming MSG is known to bring on fatigue, brain fog, moodiness, and anxiety. Look at food labels and avoid products that say “MSG free” as the FDA doesn’t require MGS to be listed as an ingredient.

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I’m just a student in the School of Life

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20 Things I’ve Learned from Having Anxiety

I need more sleep than normal to function.

Even though I love coffee, caffeine will make me extra jittery and produce anxiety.

Decompression after a busy weekend is important.

Sometimes getting out of bed is difficult, but if I’ve gotten out of bed in the morning, I’m doing better off than some people.

Anxiety is complicated. I don’t expect family and friends to understand exactly what I’m going through.

I shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help if I feel overwhelmed.

People don’t care if I don’t attend every social function because I had anxiety.

Keep active! My idle mind can produce anxious thoughts if I’m still.

Alcohol can temporarily relieve anxiety, but it’s not a permanent fix and will do more harm than good.

Recognize thoughts that are negative, and counteract with positive thoughts.

Most people aren’t bothered that I have anxiety, so I shouldn’t care about what they think.

I shouldn’t to compare myself to others. Nothing good comes from comparing.

Anxiety is like a headache. Nobody will know I’m in pain till I tell them.

Thinking too far in advance and coming up with solutions to hypothetical problems are a waste of time.

Maybe I’ll become “normal” again one day, but maybe not.

I will have good days, and then I’ll have bad days. I’ve learned not to dwell on the bad days and let that ruin a good day.

Having patience is crucial to managing stressful situations.

Worrying unnecessarily won’t solve anything.

Even thought I think negative thoughts, I don’t let those thoughts overwhelm me.

I’ve learned to become ok with the person I’ve become.

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We all have those days...

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Random Anxious Thoughts

Feeling anxious sucks!

I don’t want to get out of bed today.

I start to get anxiety when I’m happy because I know the happiness will end and I’ll be sad.

I get anxiety because I feel anxious.

I can’t just “stop thinking of things that make me worried”.

A lot of the times I’m anxious for no reason.

I miss the old me. The me that didn’t have anxiety.

I’m not sure how not to think.

I feel overwhelmed by feeling overwhelmed.

What happened to me? I was doing so well…

Will I ever not have anxiety?

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15 Quotes about Anxiety

Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom. –Soren Kierkegaard

Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength—carrying two days at once. It’s moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of it’s strength. –Corrie ten Boom

Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems. –Epictetus

Anxiety is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far. –Jodi Picoult

It’s ok to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave. –Mandy Hale

Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it. –Kahlil Gibran

We live only a few conscious decades, and we fret ourselves enough for several lifetimes. –Christopher Hitchens

When I don’t have something to worry about, I worry. Nothing comes so naturally to a human being as anxiety and worry. –Brian Richardson

Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future. –Deepak Chopra

Smile, breathe, and go slowly. –Thich Nhat Hanh

You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you. –Dan Millman

People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them. –George Bernard Shaw

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of it’s sorrows, but only empties today of it’s strength. –Charles Spurgeon

Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. –Ralph Waldo Emerson

Depression and anxiety can’t fit in your head if you’re cultivating feelings of joy and inspiration. –Austin Butler