Two or three weeks ago, I decided (and announced publicly) that my goal for 2013 is to heal the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that has been screwing up my life since forever.
I created the Healing Anxiety in Public personal challenge to keep me accountable to that goal. In the midst of writing a memoir about how I cured the Major Depressive Disorder that ran the first three decades of my life, I find myself wishing that I'd kept a weekly journal for the last two years. I wonder if it's more helpful and inspiring to watch someone overcome and heal from the first steps to the victory lap rather than hearing how they think they did it months or years after the fact.
My first challenge is to make sleep my priority. I bought ear plugs and melatonin chewables. I've been going to bed when I'm tired instead of staying up late to get more done, and getting up when my body says it's time rather than setting an alarm.
So far I have found the following after a week of getting restful sleep for about 7 hours a night (with a rude interruption in the middle - I only got two hours Saturday night...d'oh...):
-I haven't lost my temper in over a week
-I have only had two panic attacks this week (the previous week I suffered one or two a day)
-I have finished three projects this week, including two that have been on the back burner for several months
-I have not felt any cravings for junk or fast food, despite barely eating for a few days thanks to a painful cut in my mouth
I'm liking this whole sleep thing. If you are interested in practicing some self-healing techniques, I invite you to take this challenge yourself - make sleep your priority for a week. Nap if and when you need to. Rearrange the rest of your schedule around your sleep, and let me know how it works for you!
Next week's challenge is: being present. I will vlog about this one tomorrow. Stay tuned! ;)
I created the Healing Anxiety in Public personal challenge to keep me accountable to that goal. In the midst of writing a memoir about how I cured the Major Depressive Disorder that ran the first three decades of my life, I find myself wishing that I'd kept a weekly journal for the last two years. I wonder if it's more helpful and inspiring to watch someone overcome and heal from the first steps to the victory lap rather than hearing how they think they did it months or years after the fact.
My first challenge is to make sleep my priority. I bought ear plugs and melatonin chewables. I've been going to bed when I'm tired instead of staying up late to get more done, and getting up when my body says it's time rather than setting an alarm.
So far I have found the following after a week of getting restful sleep for about 7 hours a night (with a rude interruption in the middle - I only got two hours Saturday night...d'oh...):
-I haven't lost my temper in over a week
-I have only had two panic attacks this week (the previous week I suffered one or two a day)
-I have finished three projects this week, including two that have been on the back burner for several months
-I have not felt any cravings for junk or fast food, despite barely eating for a few days thanks to a painful cut in my mouth
I'm liking this whole sleep thing. If you are interested in practicing some self-healing techniques, I invite you to take this challenge yourself - make sleep your priority for a week. Nap if and when you need to. Rearrange the rest of your schedule around your sleep, and let me know how it works for you!
Next week's challenge is: being present. I will vlog about this one tomorrow. Stay tuned! ;)
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