Dear Lindsey:

No, I am not thinking “Lindsey bad idea”- not about watching a show together and him falling asleep like he did. As long as you feel  okay about it, it is not a bad thing… A bad thing would be if the two of you had.. you know, sex and then you would  get all anxious about him not texting you after having sex.

So no sex for Lindsey at this point, says I !

Regarding experiencing lower anxiety  unexplainably, this is what I learned from personal experience: after feeling severely anxious for a long time, the brain/ body gets tired, very tired because as you know, it is draining.  What happens next is the brain releases calming chemicals, even euphoria producing chemicals that motivate the animal/ person to rest. Similar to an animal running away from danger, then gets very tired and rests- it is the calming/ euphoria producing chemicals that motivate the animal to rest.

anita

Dear Lindsey:

I am glad you feel better. Take it easy the rest of the day and enjoy the pool this weekend, best place to be when it is hot, pool or at the beach, protected from the sun though, limit exposure and don’t forget sunscreen. I will be car camping tomorrow, have a thick steak cooked in the fire tomorrow evening, ancient times style, and sleep in a tent. It will be in the fifties at night, so not hot.

anita

Dear Lindsey:

I will be back to the computer for a short while Sat morning, then gone camping and back to the computer Monday morning, hope to read about your weekend and will tell you about mine Monday.

anita

Dear Lindsey:

Your weekend is proof that it is possible for you to have a relaxing weekend and all these recent days are proof that you can experience lesser anxiety and more calm. When you feel anxious again, don’t get alarmed, thinking something like:  I knew it will not last! Instead say to yourself something like: anxiety goes up and down, now it is up a bit but I can take it down, after all I know it is possible for me. I can make it happen again. Repeat the behaviors that brought you calm before and avoid the behaviors that increased your anxiety before.

My camping trip was fine and dandy, didn’t do a lot of hiking, even less than my daily hike where I live (in the woods, really). It was nice to have time stop with nothing-happening, had the best Sunday brunch cooked over the fire (and Saturday dinner as well), was incredible to be so close to glaciers, in July, had a couple of scares being in such high elevation.

anita

Dear Lindsey:

Can you imagine: there is a man out there at this very moment who would want to spend time with you instead of being at home on his computer or by himself or hang out with other people, a man who would have chosen to be with you. And would have initiated getting together with you.

Just so happens it is not K.

anita

Dear Lindsey:

Try this then: when your hopes go up (like when happened when he fell asleep on your lap the other evening), rein them down, don’t try to have no hopes, but lower them. That way hope will not “come crashing down”, instead, there will be a gentle thump when they come down.

anita

Dear Lindsey:

I am glad you are feeling better. Post anytime. If I am at the computer, I will reply.

anita