Monday, April 24, 2017

Coping with Anxiety : An SLB Edition

I go through spurts.  Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down.  Anyone who knows me knows that I've suffered from anxiety for what seems like forever.  And I'm not just talking about your basic "OMG I'm going on a first date, I'm so anxious" or "I have six deadlines to meet this week at work, how will I ever get it all done?!" types of anxiety... I'm talking real life, cold sweats, can't sleep, can't eat, obsess-over-nothing in particular anxiety.  I'm referring to the nights when I ask my boyfriend, sister, best friend, mother, anyone who will answer me if I'm going to spontaneously combust and to reassure me that I am 100% healthy and fine.  Luckily, at this moment, I'm not going through that anxiety, so I'm pretty open about writing about it.  I'm in a good place right now, I don't care if you're judging me, because sharing all of this with you is far more important than being anxious about judgment.

You know why?  Because like I said, I'm in a happy place right now... and I owe a lot of it to a new technique I've recently introduced into my life.  This technique is called reflection.  Say it with me people: reeeeeflection.  Before bed (which is usually when the crippling anxiety hits), I have started to reflect on the times in my life when I've been the happiest, laughed the hardest, and been the most content.  I have to give my sister, my Numero Uno Life Supporter, credit for this one.  She's always telling me to think about the lake in Maine, the city streets of Toronto, my cat, my friends, and she is always encouraging me to watch some old episodes of our favorite childhood show, "Sharon, Lois, and Bram's Elephant Show."  Sidenote: there's no way you won't smile when you see Elephant dance, hear Bram sing "Father Abraham Had Seven Sons, Sir", or sing along to "tra la la la la la la la la funny little goats..." (you get the picture!)

Now, not only did the love for that favorite childhood show bring us some silly laughter and joy as kids, it came full circle and gave my sister and me a special gift of friendship with Sharon and Bram, who we were so lucky to have spent some time with in our recent trip to Toronto.  If you missed the post, you can read all about it here.   And, like I said before, Toronto has become one of the beautiful places I let my mind drift to when I can't sleep.  Life is a crazy thing, you know, maybe everything does work in ways that we'll never understand.  Maybe I met Sharon and Bram in that amazing city as a way to remind myself that I still have an eager, happy little child within me, and that sometimes I need to let that pure and simple happiness take over and realize that I don't need to be anxious about every single situation in my life.  Maybe it's life's way of telling me to slow down, remember where I came from, remember how effortless true cheerfulness can be.  It could be a way to remind myself of the easier times, as a child, in front of that TV with my sister, not having a care in the world, singing Turkey in the Straw at the top of our lungs. Maybe everything really does come back around. 

And this, my friends, is what I've been learning to concentrate on.  Reflection is key.  Being present is key.  Remembering who you are, where you want to go, but never forgetting where you came from is what it's all about.

So, take a deep breath with me, relax, remember the easy times, try not to stress too hard about the hard times, and let's all Skinnamarink our way into this week!  And if you ever need some anxiety-relief advice, I've got you.


PS. I didn't say I'm fully cured of my anxiety, but I can tell you what helps... and if you have trouble sleeping like me, want to decompress in your car on your daily commute, or if you just want to hang out with your inner child for a bit, I recommend transporting yourself back to the days when you didn't have a care in the world.  It really does work.  So, go pick up a copy of SLB's latest album, 1, 2, 3, 4, Live! A collection of songs recorded live the Oakville Centre, Oakville, Ontario in 1982.
Here is a sneak peak at the song list:
1. Opening Medley
2. Apple Picker's Reel
3. Old Texas
4. Pufferbellies
5. If I Could Have A Windmill
6. Shanty Medley
7. Where Is Thumbkin?
8. Jada 
9. Candy Man, Salty Dog
10. A Biscuit
11. Little Tommy Tinker
12. La Bastringue
13. Side by Side
14. Promises to Keep
15. Skinnamarink
You're welcome!
XO,
Holly