Tags
A to Z Challenge (2016), blogging101, Journaling, Memories & Reflections, Writing 101, Writing Prompts
(Since I accidentally posted on Sunday when I didn’t need to, this post is “officially” meant for Tuesday! rolls eyes…)
I feel JITTERY and JUMPY — at certain times. Most often when I’m under an unusual amount of stress. When I’m in that place I find that sudden loud noises startle me. (But then ALL noise seems loud to me when I’m in that place.) When his lordship and Bran were both sick with colds a couple months ago, every time they sneezed or coughed it seemed so loud I wanted to put my hands over my ears. I thought I was going to go nuts if they didn’t stop hacking and blowing their noses. I was stressed from trying to care for two very sick guys.
When I’m feeling that way, I’m extremely hypersensitive to even quiet noises. I couldn’t count how many times I’ve been home alone and in the downstairs family room watching TV when I fancy I hear the door opening up here. Or I’ll hear footsteps. And Drollery can even be sitting right there beside me when it happens. His close proximity doesn’t seem to lesson the effects of the stress or anxiety or whatever it is.
New or strange situations can bring on the JITTERS and JUMPINESS. Any kind of circumstance that makes me feel out of my comfort zone can cause them. Going to the DMV to renew my drivers license is a great example. I can stand in that line on the verge of a panic attack until the deed is done and the picture is snapped!
Sudden movement is another thing can bring on my JITTERY JUMPINESS. When Twitch unexpectedly jumps up on the arm of my chair, Lordy! That cat is going to give me a heart attack one of these days! So you can guess how I feel about spiders!!!
I suspect a lot of you are familiar with these feelings, too. I think MANY folks in our culture live in that fight/flight mode these days. So much stress! Running kids all over, sitting in a traffic jam, multitasking at work, not enough sleep. When we live with such enormous amounts of stress and anxiety and our bodies don’t have time to recover between episodes, our system just continues to pump out stress hormones that are stimulants. That might have worked for the cave man who had to watch out for lions and tigers and bears (oh my!), but it’s way too much stimulant for the sedate physical lives we live these days!
So what do we do about it? Here’s a few suggestions from anxietycentre.com…
There are some short-term strategies that can be helpful as well:
- Reducing your stress as much as possible can reduce nervous system reactivity.
- Controlled relaxed breathing can calm down the nervous system, making it less reactive.
- Avoiding simulants can also allow the nervous system to fear down.
- Getting good sleep can calm an overly reactive nervous system.
- Regular light to moderate exercise is a good way to diffuse stress and calm the body.
- Having fun is a good stress buster.
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(Personally I think they should have included chocolate, a bottle of wine, or a strawberry margarita in any combination on there!!! 😀 )
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The Blogging A to Z Challenge — J
Picture Credits:
biting knuckles — f3y.com
just breathe — www.chu.cam.ac.uk
I am right there with you on the sensitivity to sound when I’m extremely stressed, and anxious. Also, I have a sensitivity to light, as well. I prefer to be in a dark room.
This was a very good post, and I could feel my own sense of calm lessening because I understand it too well.
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Oh no… Sorry, Fim. {{{ ❤ }}}
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No apologies necessary… it was that good a post that I was transported.
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I think the Jittery and Jumpy feelings are with any of us who work online all week. I read that online connectivity puts us into perpetual fight or flight mode. No wonder we’re exhausted come Friday.
How wonderful to find your blog. I’ve enjoyed reading your post so much.
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I know that’s sure true for me when I’ve been on here within an hour or so of bedtime. It just messes with my mind and nervous system something awful. Makes it hard to unwind and fall asleep. Thank you so much for stopping by and for commenting! I appreciate it so much!
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“Personally I think they should have included chocolate, a bottle of wine, or a strawberry margarita in any combination on there!” I so agree with that sentiment!
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Those chocolate covered orange or raspberry sticks would work, too!
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Jon Kabot Zinn’s mindfulness meditation: supposedly can lower chronic pain levels by 50% in his classes. He’s better than opiates. I think his 30 years of studies of zen buddhist style meditation have figured how to slow the sympathetic nervous system and bring up the relaxed parasympathetic one instead…..Here: http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/about-us/people/2-meet-our-faculty/kabat-zinn-profile/
There is all sorts of stuff on the internet. I’ve read two of his books and used one of his practice CDs…..
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I will definitely check that out, Thanks! Got hit in the back by some inept sledders 34 years ago and have had chronic disc pain since then. Therapy and steroid shots help — for awhile. Can’t hurt to try something else!
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Might helps the jitters too….
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Excellent tips for controlling anxiety. Sometimes a good night’s sleep does wonders.
Thank you also for visiting my blog.
Shalom,
Patricia @ EverythingMustChange
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You’re very welcome. Will probably make it back around. Am keeping track of the ones I visit so I can stop back again. A good night’s sleep… That seems to be a rare commodity the older I get! 😦 Good to meet you!
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I must be unusual. I hardly ever get jittery or jumpy. Some movies do it to me though!
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Normally I’m not that way either. It’s really just with periods of prolonged stress. Or if I’m not getting enough sleep.
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I know when I’m in my zone whether it be journaling, reading, meditating,,,and Calee all of a sudden barks….I jump out of my skin. Her bark goes right through me. Of course, she looks at me like, just doing my job mom…in the meantime my heart’s about to beat out of my chest!!!! 😱
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Lordy! I HATE that feeling. Takes me hours to calm down. Same thing if the phone rings in the middle of the night. OML!!! I NEVER go back to sleep.
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Ohhhh..phone ringing in the middle of the night…. Heart races and feels like getting kicked in the gut!!
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