I'm so sorry that you're having this kind of anxiety because anxiety in any form is almost always more unpleasant than the thing we're actually anxious about. Here are some things I do when I feel anxiety over anything:
1.) Think about someone who has a difficult problem (illness, injury, out of work, etc.) and do something for that person--call, write, email, etc. It takes my mind off of my own trouble.
2. Remind myself that I have done everything I can to help myself heal and that I need to focus on something I can control. Then I do anything that comes to mind--laundry, cleaning, ironing, see a movie, visit with friends, etc.
3.) Make being calm my goal for the day. I tell myself it doesn't matter how many times I worry. It only matters whether I catch myself and turn it around. I actually make a game of this--see how many times I can "catch" myself, and then tell myself "Oh yeah, that's that thing that's already been taken care of." That makes me feel more in control of my anxiety and leaves me free to move on to something else.
4.) I have a short attention span, so this one works well for me: I force myself to focus intently on something, no matter how trite. For example, before one of my surgeries, I once learned the name of every nail polish in the entire drugstore and then renamed them in my head. That was many years ago. In retrospect, I now realize I could have spent that time learning something valuable, throwing myself into a project, painting, dancing, reading, exercising, etc.
5. Try to stay as busy as I can with anything I can, especially something that involves other people. Sometimes I call friends and ask them to spend time with me. It's hard to stay anxious when I'm engaged with others.
Hope that helps a little.
Hugs & prayers,
Mary
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