Dear Kristin:

You stated above: ” there is a lot on my plate right now and I am overwhelmed. Any advice on easing the anxiety? ”

You are a young mother, working at an insurance company, needs to prepare for a coming teaching job, your first, still take classes until you are certified, have a long commute, not having time to exercise, etc. Indeed overwhelming. I noticed you started a thread about religion-for-comfort and that caused me concern about your level of your anxiety.

I think Guided Meditation that you can download from the internet can do wonders for you, to start the day with one, do one in the middle of the day and/ or at the end.

Mindfulness exercises that you can do while driving can also help. When you drive, slow down your thinking and focus on the feel of your hands on the wheel. Such a simple switch can do wonders. Your attention moves to your hands on the wheel and you get a break that way. Any automatic task you do during the day can be an opportunity to practice mindfulness. When you wash dishes, switch from thinking to the feel of the water and soap on your hands, or the sound of the water.

The overthinking we do when anxious is aimed at finding a solution to our distress, but it fails as this overthinking creates a fog and we can’t think clearly. When you switch from thinking to sensing with one of the five senses (sight, sound, touch most often), you give the overthinking brain a break, the fogs dissipates and clears up. Then you can think effectively.

Please let me know if this works for you.

anita