I can't believe it's June already!
A couple of long cycles, including the 35 mile round trip to work, have helped in reducing my stress levels. However, it is difficult to convince myself to get up at 7 am and cycle for over an hour when I could be tucked up in bed. I've been trying to do a bit more cross training, that is varying the forms of exercise I take, as it is better for you and it prevents boredom.
It is now warm enough to go swimming in the sea. No, really, it is. I've been in a couple of times and still have all my fingers and toes. I've been trying out a bit of aqua running in the pool, this is where you pretend you're running while you are in water (without touching the bottom of the pool), it exercises a lot of muscles but doesn't put a strain on the joints.
I'm also making the tentative forays back into the hills. So far, my hip is much improved and I expect to be back to full Munro-bagging fitness in the next month. I have also being trying my best to catch up on some sleep. It's not always easy in the summer as the heat makes me restless. I've even been having the odd nap at lunchtimes at work.
I've cut back on the alcohol a lot and increased the amount of Roman Chamomile.
Taking the opportunity to have a good talk with close friends also helped, both because it is good to let off steam and also because sometimes, instead of spending all day obsessing about your own problems, it is much better to let someone else tell you theirs.
Week commencing 05/06/06
Medication: Roman chamomile every few hours, 7 mg of Valium
Exercise: 5 hours
Alcohol: 4 units
Anxiety: still high at various points in the week
Anxiety Level (0-10): 5
Number of Panic Attacks: 2
Severity of Panic Attack (0-5): 1
Depression: Being very stressed out does make me a bit worn out and flat Depression Level (0-5): 2
Mania: Not significantly manic
Mania Level (0-5): 1
Summary
Anxiety level still high at start of week gradually decreasing with more exercise and then increasing again to the end of the week. Still struggling to get enough sleep, not helped by the heat, nightmares and random workmen who think it is reasonable to make a racket at 6am.
