#they're like a grounding exercize

[dingoskidneys]

Omg yay thanks for the tag @dragons-in-spaceee !!

Last song: Give Me One Reason by Tracy Chapman. YAY

Favorite color: bright reddish pink like a rhododendron

Last book: It's been so long since I actually finished a book but the last one I read a good chunk of was Bones of Contention by Roger Lewin about the history of the paleoanthropology field. Definitely perspective-changing and educational but kind of slow going and quite literally put me to sleep a few times lmfao

Last movie: That Christmas (2024)... I thought the characters were really really good but the plot was weird and there were some kinda bizarre undertones... it was like each department was headed by someone with completely different politics/values and instead of finding a happy medium they just hashed it together like a frankenstein creature? Really fascinating movie that was fun to watch but made me uncomfortable. However I did really like the quote about xmas being a magnifying glass to your emotional state and if you feel loved and happy you feel more loved and happy but if you feel lonely and upset you feel more lonely and upset. SO true

Last show: La Palma (I think it's called?) It sucked!! but we wanted to know what happened so we kept jumping to the next episode and skipping around until we got to the end lmao. Sorry

Spicy/sweet/savory: savory

Relationship status: Fuck offfffff

Last thing I googled: "hashed together definition" NOT helpful. Google is basically unusable

Current obsession: honestly That Christmas (2024). I want to look into this. I need to know why it is the way that it is

Looking forward to: opening xmas presents (my family's celebrating late bc of work schedules)

Ten people I'd like to get to know better!!

@volcanicflowers @cloudlesbian @fuckfacejoseph @autismsupersoldier @andietries @v0gonpoet @plethodon-uncia @realarthurdent @ragdolls-and-such @sempegzrd

no pressure!! :]

[jay-avian]

The Sink Theory

So I went to my therapist yesterday to talk about my anxiety and overstimulation and I think she explained it perfectly.

You are the sink and any anxiety is the water. Normally, when the water is turned on, it sits in the sink for a short while before passing through. When you're in an overstimulating environment (or any place that makes you feel nervous), the water is always on. But since there's never a lot in one period of time, it's manageable.

Whenever your fight/flight response is triggered, the little stopper in your sink is down and all of a sudden, it's like someone dumped a whole cup full of water (or more, depending on the circumstance). Your senses are heightened, meaning everything else is significantly worse. Even though you could handle it before, all that extra water takes its toll.

The stopper can even be down before entering the environment because you are anticipating being anxious, and are therefore already anxious. (I have this problem often, I'm learning to be better)

Here are some things that will help you get back to a stable level:

Stopping the water

Leave the environment - Seems self explanatory. But people often have a hard time excusing themselves from situations, usually because they don't want to be rude or they're frozen in place from fear. Or they stay, thinking they can handle a little longer, so they wait til the worst possible moment. Don't do this! When you feel it getting rough, leave, and let the anxiety drain before going back.

Block out stimulation - If, for whatever reason, you can't leave, get some earplugs or headphones and try to block out as much as you can. It may seem counterproductive to play music or white noise, but it's much better to have one sound to focus on rather than a hundred. (Especially a sound you find calming and that you can control)

Raising the stopper

Manage your thoughts - This is probably the hardest part, but it's the most beneficial. You have to essentially talk to yourself here. Remind yourself that hey, everything's okay. More often than not, fear and anxiety is irrational. Sometimes there's a trigger behind it which you may need healing from, sometimes you just get overstimulated easily. Just take this time to comfort yourself as you would comfort a friend or a child. You need to take every thought captive. "This feeling will pass." "There's nothing to be afraid of." "I am safe." "I will be okay." "I am okay."

Focus on your breathing - We didn't discuss this one, but I find it very helpful. One way to help ground yourself is to not only take deep breaths, but to focus on them. Feel your body move, in and out, in and out. There are plenty of breathing exercises that you can look up that will help. (There are a few that I use on this self care app called Finch. I love that thing so much!)

Grounding in general - Some of you may know some grounding tips already. But in case you don't, here are a few that I like: making lists (of what you see, things you like, movies you want to watch, flavors of tea, anything), focus on something physical (yourself, a fidget you have, the floor), doodle or practice calligraphy (focus on the movement), have someone close to you on the phone (hearing their voice or seeing their face may help)

Draining the water faster

The anxiety will leave over time as long as you're in a calm environment. But here are some things we talked about that may help even more.

Drinking water - When your senses are heightened, your body has a lot of adrenaline and cortisol. Drinking water helps to flush out those chemicals faster. Not to mention, if it got really bad, you were probably crying or hyperventilating. You're probably dehydrated after all that.

Walking/Exercise - Exercise in general produces endorphins, chemicals in your brain that make you feel good. It also uses up the energy your body would've normally used to be stressed. It can be as simple as taking a walk around wherever you are, stretching, or doing a few light exercises.

Avoid sugar/caffeine - Although many comfort foods/drinks have these things, it will make your anxiety worse. It gives you more energy to worry with and can increase the adrenaline already in your body. Some teas have little to no caffeine and have been known to decrease stress (their smells can also be calming).

It's a long post, but I hope it helps!