The Anxious Wife

Dealing with anxiety is never an easy thing. When you have added stress anxiety gets even worse. This blog is here to remind other brides, grooms, and couples what life is really like, that it’s okay to not be perfect, and how to manage life as newly weds!

[theanxiouswife]

Saving Money = Saving Stress

I am always someone to shop the sales and look for coupons! Today I discovered coupons.com and my life has changed! You go on, find the coupons that work for you, click on them to “clip” them, and when you are done you print them! Just found $13 in savings! To me when money is saved I can breathe a little because I am saving some stress!

Stress = Anxiety

Saving Money = Saving Stress

[theanxiouswife]

Nachos To Go was on the menu last night! Easy meal to put together and get packed to go to Bible study! We had burger patties in the freezer so I grabbed those, separated them, and tossed them in the pan! Added 1/2 cup frozen chopped onion, 1tsp of minced garlic, and half a packet of generic taco seasoning. Cover on medium-high heat and let things thaw! Once the beef has thawed break it up and treat it like regular ground beef. Add 1/3 cup water to the pan. Stir as needed until beef is browned fully, then take off the heat. I made plain white rice (follow instructions on box for 2 servings). Once rice is done I mixed it in and let it absorb the flavor! Pack them in a container for easy transport with your favorite toppings! Bring along salsa and chips and you’re ready to go! Matt and I were able to enjoy this while doing a family Bible study with my brother, his fiancée, and Matt’s brother! Such an amazing night!

[theanxiouswife]

Guys keep this in mind the next time your wife shuts down and shuts you out. You may not know what’s going on but you can ask that one magical question, “what can I do to help you?” By asking this question you are giving her a chance to open up, tell you what she needs, and then she might be able to take a breath and tell you what’s really bothering her. If she says she needs laundry done, dishes washed, or even the shower started be sure and do it. Don’t ask to many questions. Do what you can to make it a little easier for her to process or take a breather. This is something Math has had to learn over time. I have shut down to the point that I made Matt go to the store for me at midnight so I could have a anxiety attack alone. He found me after realizing there was something else wrong. I was on the steps, shaking, crying, hyperventilating, and unable to go any further without help. I saw the fear and concern in his eyes. That’s when Matt and I both learned more about how to help me.

[theanxiouswife]

TAKE THAT DEPRESSION! Same corner not even an hour later!

[theanxiouswife]

REAL TALK! Our bedroom looks like a clothing bomb went off! I have so many clothes and so does Matt! My depression has been running rampant the last few weeks and things pile up because naps and rest are more important to my depression than clean laundry and organization. This mess makes my depression happy and my anxiety sky rocket! So I fought the depression monster, got out of bed, and I’m slowly making my way through all the junk on the floor! Depression will not win today!

[theanxiouswife]

After our late night trip to the grocery store yesterday I was able to pull together an awesome batch of chicken noodle soup!

Inspiration coming from my new cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier by Ree Drummond. There is an incredible chicken noodle soup recipe that I took and made it my own! The recipe called for a 2-3 pound chicken fryer but I am not a fan of dealing with the bones in chicken so I decided to get 3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts (they were on sale! $2.99/lbs)!

I cut the chicken into small pieces and tossed them into the pot! Once the chicken was about halfway cooked I poured in 6 cups of water, covered the pot, and let it cook!

While the chicken was doing its thing I chopped up the carrots and celery into bite-sized pieces. I cheated the system and used frozen pre-chopped onion (they are my best-kept secret and if I am out I can count on my mom to have about 7 bags of it in her freezer)!

I gathered all the spices, measured them out and had them in the bowl with the veggies! I also took the time to mix the flour with ½ cup water and set it aside.

Once the chicken was done I added in all the veggies and all the spices and let them sit and simmer for 10 minutes which gave the veggies time to cook. After those 10 minutes, I mixed in the flour and water mixture and also added the frozen egg noodles.

Let all that cook for 10-15 minutes or until noodles are to the texture you like. Serve and enjoy!

What You Need:

2-3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts ½ Cup chopped onion 2 celery stalks 3 medium carrots (or 2 large) 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp white pepper ½ tsp turmeric ¼ tsp dried thyme 3 tsp dried parsley flakes 16 oz frozen homestyle egg noodles 3 Tbs all-purpose flour

[theanxiouswife]

I feel like I got hit by a bus. I also want chicken noodle soup. Matt said he would go to the store for me but my brain said I had to go to get the stuff for soup so, I put on an old T-shirt, pants, and shoes, and we are now on the way to the store! Matt might have to carry me around but at least I’ll be there to be sure we get what we need. Recipe soon to follow!

[theanxiouswife]

Plans Change and Anxiety Goes Up

Last night after our meal, I packed Matt a lunch of leftovers, put the rest of the leftovers away, and decided to wait to do the dishes this morning.

This morning I woke up feeling like I was hit by a bus! Headache, body ache, cough, sore throat, and clammy.

I got Matt sent off to work, I moved around a few dishes with the goal of washing, drying, and putting them away, but I coughed, I cringed, and walked myself to the couch.

As soon as I sat down the anxiety kicked in! From the couch I can see the kitchen counter. I can see the dishes, the soap, and the amount of work I should be doing. I got up and yet again attempted to do the dishes. Then the anxiety kicked in over being sick so then I sat down again. I got more and more anxious the more I looked at the dishes so I got up, and SHUT THE DOOR!

I shut out what was currently increasing my anxiety. I found something on TV to distract me but still thought about those dumb dishes!

Hours passed, I napped, ate a little snack, and still worried about the dishes! My brain just couldn’t let it go.

So I am now getting up, going to the kitchen, and doing the dishes. Going against the advice of Elsa and not letting go of the dishes.

Let’s see where this anxiety takes me next!

[theanxiouswife]

I am a fan of good comfort food! There are times where a quick pizza or a PB & J are necessary due to time but when I have the chance to make a meal I will! Sometimes meals are soup and a hot sandwich and sometimes I go all out! Last night was one of those all-out nights!

Salad to start! Nothing too exciting other than salad was on sale at the store! Basic salad greens, some of the crunchy salad toppings, cheese, and dressing! Can’t go wrong! When Matt and I started vegetables were not something he ate willingly. Well, last night he had two salads! WINNING!!!

The main portion of our meal was BBQ Teriyaki Pork Sandwiches!

Half a bottle of Kraft Teriyaki BBQ (save the other half for at the table)

1 can of Pineapple Tidbits (don’t drain)

1 Pork Loin preseasoned Lemmon Garlic (mine was frozen)

½ cup of water

Cooked in our InstantPot 30 minutes on high pressure

Put pork loin in your InsantPot with the water, half bottle of BBQ, and the pineapple! Set your InstantPot and let it cook!

While the pork was cooking I made the sides! Italian pasta salad, garlic mashed potatoes, and carrots!

Sides were done and Matt walked in the door from work just in time to shred the pork!

We set the table, got all the food on the table, sat down and was able to enjoy some amazing comfort food!!

[theanxiouswife]

Welcome to The Anxious Wife! This blog is all about how I survived wedding planning while dealing with my anxiety! I will also be sharing stories and happenings through our marriage! I’ll share everything from recipes we love to pictures of our home! Things will be honest and 100% real! Laughing, crying, good and bad! This blog is 100% real! My husband, Matt, and I said our vows June 9, 2018! That day went by so fast, but that is a story for another time! We hope you all join us on our adventures through life where we chase our passions, keep our faith, and learn to fight anxiety together!