Have you ever had levels of anxiety that basically prevent you from doing anything productive?
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@jerry they happen frequently when I'm going through a major life change. Fortunately they drop down to background radiation levels after so I'm pretty sure I'm not clinical.
If you can, try setting aside a day in the week for rest. Do no "meaningful work". Take a break from professional development. Center yourself and prepare for the week ahead. I chose Saturday for religious reasons but plenty of alternatives exist.
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@jerry Been fighting this since the start of this semester in school.
Yes, all the time. Meditation and intense physical exercise usually help me.
@jerry might want to rephrase this as “have you ever not had”
@jerry my last full year as a faculty member comes to mind. It took about 6 years to recover.
@jerry absolutely yes. My social anxiety was crippling in my 20s.
@jerry hell yes. I suffer terrible procrastination when under stress. It’s the worry that if I change anything (through activity) I’ll make things worse, so inactivity is preferable.
@jerry very much so! As others have answered, meditation and intense exercise work best. Also good to learn some other tools and maybe speak with a doctor, when I got severely injured a few years ago I had to learn some new tools.
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@jerry I think https://www.systemcomic.com/2013/08/02/the-system-667-on-getting-shit-done/ is relevant...
@jerry
I've never had anxiety levels that allow me to do anything productive. Or at least to finish anything productive.
@jerry Yes. When my brother was dying, I warned my boss that my productivity was going to be shit for a while and I was just showing up in order to answer questions and help others when they get stuck. There have been other times when I got professional help. Once, when I explained my stress-related symptoms to my doctor and he referred me to a psychologist, the psychologist said "you seem pretty well adjusted... wait, you drink how much coffee?!" So yeah, try to cut down on caffeine.
@jerry Yeah. It sucked ass. Therapy helped more than I ever thought it would
@jerry yes, turned off communications for three days and concentrated on a hobby
@jerry Interactions with my manager do that to me.
I need to get out of this company asap, but my skillset is somewhat specific, it's easier said than done.
@jerry Yep. It blows. My ADHD meds help sometimes.
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@jerry Sometimes life throws a lot at us. Anxiety is natural, it's what kept the human race alive when we were still being hunted by predators.
It shouldn't be debilitating though. no shame in seeking help. my wife's dealt with it for as long as i've known her. she's treated it medically and just recently started treating it then through therapy. Nothing wrong with either of those.
Don't hesitate to find help man. Sometimes all you need it someone to chat with.
@jerry frequently, on days ending in ‘y’
@jerry I meditate over the earth in space and how nothing matters in the end. I found some people may find this depressing. I think it is freeing. Be who you want. You decide this every morning you wake up.
@jerry In my case, Getting Thing Done (GTD) helped me with that.
@jerry Yes, and my inability to do anything productive contributed to my anxiety. #viciousCircle
@jerry YES! First of all, you are NOT alone! Review feedback from this thread, seek out professional help, speak with trusted friends/family...do whatever you think you need to do in order to help yourself. While there may not be a universal silver bullet, the sooner you start to focus on your well-being, the sooner you can find what things work for you. (I'm not a medical professional!) Good luck, and fear not because we're all pulling for you!!!!!
@jerry Yes. I'm sure there's lots of good advice on this thread! My how-to on quelling it: *Accept* that I will or may not get everything done (this is hard. Calling it Radical Acceptance sort of helps). Pick one thing to work on; the most pressing, or what will take the shortest, or what will please you the most. If you can't pick flip a coin and let it pick for you. Keep a kanban board or even a simple list and check off the things you get done! It feels great and lifts some of the anxiety.
@jerry therapy helps me work through my anxiety and keep me from getting lost in it so I can focus on more important things.
@jerry ever, or just today? (Either way, yes.)
@mxu thanks. I’ve been struggling this for many years and did seem therapy a long time ago. I feel like my sanity rests on a knife edge. But this will pass. Just going through some particularly difficult times at the moment.
@jerry Yes, 100% this will pass! You can do this! Breathe and get through it all! (Sending you positive vibes!)