Summer Flowers and Anxiety
If I had to sum my summer in one word so far, it is anxiety! While we had a nice little vacation and I have had fun with the boys and enjoyed the slow mornings, I really have been struggling with anxiety until about the last few days of June. I always have been a person who gets a little sick to my stomach when I am stressed or anxious (think job interview, a big bill…), but this summer, I feel like I have let it go to another level and I am struggling with letting go of being anxious.
I think part of the reason anxiety is taking over (apart from the reasons I am stressed) is that I am not doing the things that usually help be deal with being anxious. Namely, I am not walking or running much and I am not taking my little morning coffee break outside regularly.
I also could use a little more prayer and spiritual reading time to start my day: sometimes I forget till I am out and about and I really should put my faith and trust in God first.
We planted some zinnias and marigolds this year and I finally took some pictures. I love how easy they are to grow and how little care they need. I let the rain water them and we’ve had a lot of rainstorms to help with that!
Above are the zinnias we planted where we buried our pet guinea pig Brownie this spring, and next to him is a visiting neighborhood cat. There are a number of outdoors cat that roam our backyard occasionally.
My prayer for July is to enjoy the month, the time with friends and family and to let go! Let go of trying to have control over things I cannot control and let go of feeling anxious.
PS: so far July is shaping up better in terms of anxiety! Thanks be to God!
A bientôt!
Please take a minute to subscribe to the blog to receive an email letting you know when a new post goes live. I usually post Monday, Wednesday and Friday but sometimes have a bonus post during the week. You can also follow me on Instagram @chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
19 Comments
Gina
I read something yesterday I think would be good for you to investigate. Its called Uncertainty exposure and its for dealing with anxiety. Yes, you should also do those things tht bring you peace – the coffee outside, the prayer, the walks. But also, learn what makes you tick. Good luck!
https://www.anxietycanada.com/sites/default/files/ToleratingUncertainty.pdf
mimifce
I will have to look that up!
Nancy
Talk, talk talk about it. That’s what I learned. We had such stressful days, I will tell about it on the blog, and I prayed. And I’m not even religious. And on one side I do think he will look after me, and on the other we can have so much stress about things right. That’s an interesting one……
mimifce
That is one of the reasons I really should walk and run more (even though it’s hot): it’s usually when I talk to my friends! I did call one of my friends who lives in Texas, that has dealt with some of the same things and it really helped!
Joanne
I have been reading a lot about perimenopause and anxiety and how closely those are tied together too. I am much like you and get sick to my stomach when dealing with anxiety (I literally threw up most mornings before school all through middle school and even some of high school!) so I try really hard to keep my anxiety at bay– often using things like time in nature, hiking, deep breathing, prayer, and routine too. I hope July continues to be better for you anxiety-wise!
mimifce
Very interesting! I definitely get a lot moodier than I did in the past when my cycles comes (so irregular nowadays) so maybe anxiety is magnified with perimemopause!
Joanne
That’s what is sounds like. Another blogger mentioned that she breaks out in a cold sweat now and has horrible anxiety about driving and she was speculating that it was related to her menopause so I started Googling and was surprsied at all that I found linking higher anxiety levels to both perimenopause and menopause!
Michelle
I’m so sorry you are dealing with anxiety. It runs in my family. I was 52 when I finally sought medical treatment for it. The thing I learned about the anxiety in my family is that the brain creates the feeling, then makes up a reason to justify it. If you can tame it with your routines, that’s awesome. But don’t afraid to seek medical help. My biggest regret is waiting so long.
And your flowers are beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Michelle
https://postcardsfromthe3rdplanet.com
mimifce
Thanks, Michelle! Thankfully, July is shaping up to be a much better month: I know that it won’t be always easy since part of the stress is with health of my parents, but I will work on starting with my stress reliever routines when anxiety rears its head again!
jodie
What a sweet neighborhood kitty!!
Hopefully your anxiety will be less when you come visit.
XOOX
Jodie
mimifce
I had a wonderful time, and thankfully, July has been good. Had a great visit with my parents today, took my mom grocery shopping.
Marsha Banks
I have always had anxiety and had panic attacks for years before I knew what they were. I think you are doing lots of the right things. I wouldn’t hesitate to talk to your doctor, though. Your zinnias and marigolds are beautiful!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
mimifce
Thanks, Marsha!
Jennifer
Your flowers are beautiful. I am sorry you’re anxious. You should try playing some high vibrational music!
Jennifer
https://curatedbyjennifer.com
mimifce
I am going to look that up, Jennifer!
leslie clingan
Oh my friend, I’m so sorry you’re feeling anxious this summer. Letting go is easier said than done. I am struggling to remember to pray and to do my quiet time. I need some kind of new workbook or something to focus my attention on for my quiet time.
Your garden is beautiful. I am doing kitty sitting for a couple that have the most beautiful zinnias. I never dreamed they would grow here. So I’m going to give them a try too. What tremendous colors in your flowers.
Maybe if you’re not up to running or exercising as much, just taking a walk when you’re feeling anxious might help. Writing about it. It. Journaling. Sending you big love.
mimifce
That is what I think I am going to be doing the rest of this summer: concentrate on walking daily and alternating it with some bike rides. my right leg has been giving me some problems anyways when I run so a slower pace might be good for it.
Amy Johnson
Such beautiful zinnias you have, and of course I love the kitty. I’m sorry to hear about the anxiety. Glad to hear July is better. I struggle with anxiety at night. I’m fine during the day, but often wake up in the middle of the night with panic attacks. It’s so weird.
mimifce
Oh wow, hope those recede! I am going to start taking magnesium before bed and see if it helps with sleeping: mainly the going back to sleep when I wake up.