3050: My Experience with Mental Health - Anxiety by Kylee Lessard of A Blue Sky Mind on Buddhist Advice

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Living Daily Episode 3050 My Experience with Mental Health Anxiety by Kylee Lessard of AblusskyMind.com Immunerator Justin Malik, the guy that reads blogs or articles to you every single day of the year including weekends and holidays

[00:00:17] And with that let's get right to our next post as we optimize your life My Experience with Mental Health Anxiety by Kylee Lessard of AblusskyMind.com It's Mental Health Awareness Month so each week I'm diving into a different mental health topic that I'm intimately familiar with

[00:00:41] starting with anxiety Anxiety by the Numbers Let's start by painting a picture of the issue in America with data from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America Number one Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the US affecting 40 million adults 18% of the population every year

[00:01:02] Number two Anxiety develops from a complex set of risk factors including genetics, brain chemistry, personality and life events Number three It's often linked with depression Nearly one half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder

[00:01:19] And number four Anxiety disorders are highly treatable yet only 37% of those suffering receive treatment The too long didn't read version. It's a big but blessedly treatable problem in our country My Experience with Anxiety

[00:01:36] I've experienced heart racing stomach clenching anxiety before I knew there was a word for it as a child I slept with dream catchers above my bed and worry dolls under my pillows to use the nightmares that plagued me

[00:01:48] I feared kidnapping as a child, assault as a teen and now natural disasters as an adult I've learned to name this existential anxiety I've also experienced what I've come to term relational anxiety primarily in close friendship

[00:02:03] Romantic relationships usually the ones that don't work out and in the workplace as I've gotten older I've learned that close family members have also had near-death experiences with debilitating anxiety I've also been prescribed anti anxiety medication that I proudly carry with me and take as needed

[00:02:21] While continuing to practice self soothing techniques as a primary defense I try my best to be open about how much therapy has helped me in this area as a further effort to destigmatize both the experience and the treatment What I learned from a Buddhist nun on managing anxiety

[00:02:39] When things fall apart heart advice for hard times is a single most important spiritual texts I've read to date Shipped to me in the middle of a life crisis by one of my dearest friends I've returned to the words in this book for every crisis thereafter

[00:02:54] It's especially useful when your specific crisis involves intense anxiety So if you're someone who regularly suffers it might be one to pick up Here are the eight main takeaways for me number one Accept non permanence and change security is an illusion number two

[00:03:12] Relax into groundlessness give up hope of getting solid ground under your feet number three Suffering is normal and okay. It doesn't mean something is wrong. It just is number four you are fundamentally alone. That is not a problem number five exposing yourself to annihilation builds resilience

[00:03:36] number six have fearless compassion for yourself and others number seven Open to your thoughts and emotions. Don't close notice opinions. Let them go And number eight relax and line up give yourself a break My tips for managing situational anxiety

[00:03:56] I love to tell you that I successfully meditates or employ breath work to get through my situational anxiety But I seem to actually get more in my head that way Tyler has had powerful success with mindfulness meditation and visualizations, etc

[00:04:10] While going through a period of anxiety so definitely don't knock it as an option It just hasn't been my bag Of course, I try to breathe be here now and not somewhere in the regretful past or scary future From there. I try to utilize the following strategies

[00:04:27] number one write it out get all feelings on paper investigate with curiosity and kindness number two indulge in the worst case scenario Dispassionately what resources do you have to recover? Example your family skill set health Number three favor the most likely outcome

[00:04:48] Outcomes are usually somewhere between best case and worst case plan to land in the middle Number four keep in mind the average attention span even if you fail it will quickly fade from memory Number five talk to yourself

[00:05:03] Repeat the words. I love you and I forgive you no matter what happens. You're allowed to make mistakes and mean it number six reach out Apologize if you need to call your mom or best friend for an anxiety reality check and number seven move on

[00:05:20] Put on some music take a shower go for a walk say yes to an invite remind yourself that life goes on Why I share about my anxiety I

[00:05:32] Share for no other reason than to let you know that you are not alone in what you carry to grow empathy for what this condition feels like And to encourage you to dig more into what positive psychology can teach you about managing your mental health

[00:05:45] It's been a godsend for me and what makes me so passionate about the space Sending you all the peace and self-compassion you need to get through your next anxious spell

[00:05:55] You just listen to the post titled my experience with mental health anxiety by Kylie Lissard of a blue sky mind calm I'll be right back with my commentary Think it a Kylie. I can definitely relate to this and as with her experience for me

[00:06:15] I'm sort of the same where being a little too present in anxious situations Can make it worse for me whereas a little bit of distraction sometimes helps more So that's why we need to experiment with different ideas so that we can really discover what works best for us

[00:06:31] But I want to mention that book again that she recommended not because I've personally read it But because I've seen the author speak in person That's payment children and that book specifically has been recommended multiple times and by people I even know personally

[00:06:46] So it's probably worth checking out. It's called when things fall apart by payment children Supposedly a great read when going through tougher times And of course this podcast is always available. It can hopefully help you through hard times as well

[00:07:00] So thanks for listening and being here every day have a great rest of your day And I'll see you tomorrow for minimalist Monday where your optimal life awaits