by Shayla Morag | Feb 26, 2018 | Handy Tips, Self Care, The Red Bike Way
Anxiety is part of the human condition. Try to find someone that never feels anxiety. Some people are more resistant to anxiety that others, but everyone can strengthen their ability to manage anxious feelings. Developing a high level of anxiety is a skill. Lowering anxiety is a skill, too. The key to managing anxiety is to begin minimizing it as soon as possible after it hits you. The more it builds, the more challenging it is to control.
Deal with anxiety quickly and easily:
1. Break your day into small chunks. Only worry about the small amount of time in front of you. If you’re sitting in a meeting at 9:00 AM, there’s no reason to worry about how you’re going to pay the electric bill or what you’re going to have for dinner. Take the day one minute at time and keep your attention on that minute.
2. Create a mantra and use it. Have a positive and uplifting phrase you repeat to yourself. You’ll eventually start to believe it and you’ll block any negative self-talk. “I’m happy and capable of handling any situation.” “My life is filled with joy and positive energy.”
3. Exercise.The quickest way to relieve anxiety is to exercise enough to sweat. A casual walk is better than nothing, but to get the greatest benefit, it’s necessary to get your heart beating hard.
4. Make use of distractions. Distractions never solve the underlying issue, but can provide relief. Watch a movie, play cards, or do a crossword. Spend time with a close friend. Give yourself a break and put your focus elsewhere.
5. Keep going. Anxiety occurs because some part of your brain is trying to stop you from taking action. It has learned that it can control you by making you feel miserable. You can minimize the anxiety you feel by plowing ahead. Your brain will learn that making you feel anxious doesn’t work.
6. Give yourself 20 minutes to worry each day. Schedule your worry time. You’ll find yourself less inclined to worry during the other 23-plus hours of the day.
7. Change your environment. Get out of your current environment and give yourself a change of scenery. Go to the park or spend some time at the coffee shop. Spend an hour window shopping. Shake things up a bit.
8. Spend time with your pet. If you have a dog, you already know how comforting they can be. Sit on the floor and have a heart-to-heart with your favorite pet. How could you not feel better?
9. Write in a journal. Get your anxiety out of your head and down on paper. There’s something cathartic about writing when you’re stressed. Make a habit of writing about your life each day.
10. Find the right scent. The right scent can be soothing. Take a trip to the candle store and find something that makes you feel good when you smell it
11. Find a hobby that requires concentration. It could be chess, playing the piano, or knitting. It doesn’t matter what the hobby is as long as you enjoy it and it commands your complete attention. It can be a great way to spend your down time.
12. Visualize. Visualize something positive. Daydream about Maui or remember a positive experience from the past. Imagine your perfect day.
Dealing with anxiety is important. Successful people are successful due to their ability to manage anxiety successfully. When you feel worry begin to build, deal with it immediately. A high level of anxiety is very challenging to manage. Develop a list of strategies that can be implemented quickly when anxiety first appears.
by Shayla Morag | Feb 05, 2018 | Handy Tips, The Red Bike Way, Travelling
For one of my Mom’s birthdays, we both flew to Vancouver (coast-to-coast) to celebrate with family and friends. WestJet, for example, has a One Person One Fare Program. We applied and were successful so I was my Mom’s personal attendant to provide care (i.e help with meals, medication) and my fare was covered aside from a small fee on all future trips.
The trip had moments that were quite confusing especially when we stayed in a new place and met new people. However, for the most part by maintaining our regular daily routine and being by my Mom’s side… all went really smoothly. Before going (due to the time change), we attempted to shift our sleeping habits so that the adjustment would be easier to manage. Marking off the days on a calendar was also a great count down and way to visually capture the current day. ?✈?
by Shayla Morag | Feb 01, 2018 | Handy Tips, Self Care, The Red Bike Way
Everyone has good days and bad. When faced with a bad day, do everything you can to make the most of it. You can accomplish something worthwhile, no matter how bad of a day you’re experiencing. Here are 9 tips to survive a bad day and make the most of it:
1. Avoid behaviors that make a bad day even worse. Complaining, overeating, yelling at a coworker or loved one, or drinking are just a few ways to potentially make a bad day worse. Why throw gasoline on the fire? Keep your wits about you and hold on. Tomorrow is a new day. It might be your best day ever.
2. Maintain your perspective. Maybe your boss hates your report, but it beats the heck out of living under a bridge. No matter how bad your day is, it could be a lot worse. And many are faced with far worse each and every day. Things will get better.
3. Meet with a friend for dinner. People love drama as long as it isn’t their own. Your friend would love to hear about your bad day over a delicious dinner. You can tell your story and unburden yourself, all while enjoying your favorite restaurant.
4. Remember that it’s just one day. You can handle one bad day. You’ve already successfully survived many in the past. Finish the day but look forward to tomorrow. Things can only get better, right?
5. Avoid making any important decisions. A bad day isn’t the best time to decide to quit your job, give up on your dream of law school, or end a relationship. All of those things can wait until your mood and circumstances have normalized. Again, avoid doing anything that can make your crummy day significantly worse.
6. Make plans that excite you. Decide to get away for the weekend or buy that new iPod you’ve been eyeing for the last few months. Give yourself something to look forward to in the near future
7. Learn a lesson. Is there anything you did to cause your bad day? Could your rough day have been prevented? Can you learn anything from this experience? A rough day isn’t so bad if you learned something useful from it. Make the best of it
8. Breathe. Unless you’re underwater, breathing is always a good idea to relieve tension and regain control of your emotions. Just breathe and get your work done. Completing everything that needs to be done is more challenging when everything seems to be going wrong, but you’ll feel more satisfied at the end of the day if it wasn’t a complete loss
9. Take a nap. Sometimes you can reset your day and your brain by taking a quick nap. Maybe you’ll see your situation in a new light. A nap also provides a needed break.
Deal with your bad days effectively. When you’re experiencing a bad day, focus on survival and completing the most important tasks. Most importantly, avoid using a bad day as an excuse to do something stupid or you might find that it can get worse. Follow these strategies and you’ll get through your rough days in the best ways possible.
by Shayla Morag | Jan 26, 2018 | Caregiving, Handy Tips
I am a white board fanatic. When I cared for Mom in my home, I had a big white board in the kitchen which was updated every morning with the day and date, plus one in Mom’s sitting room for upcoming events. Encouraging independence with pills for example works well. Every morning, I passed my Mom’s blister pack to her in the kitchen and she would look at the white board to see the day and select her pills on her own. For my full-time job (since I worked from home), I had a number of chores (i.e. deposits, deliveries, mailings) and Mom would accompany me in the car as my “assistant” and keep track of the list of things to do. On trips, I carried a small white board with us for support with key messages (i.e. we are going to the store) so that Mom could refer to it anytime she wished.
by Shayla Morag | Jan 23, 2018 | Comfort, Grief, Handy Tips, Support, The Red Bike Way
Sadly I have had a few friends lose their beloved pets in recent months. The loss of a fur baby can be very traumatic. For many people, pets become members of the family. We have a little toy poodle named Beethoven who is very much apart of the family. Being there to listen and sending a sympathy e-card to a friend or a loved one when their pet passes away can offer care and comfort during a difficult time. Check out Your Dog Advisor site for thoughtful gift ideas.
