Stop the spin

Happy Tuesday,

How are you today? I hope whoever is out and about in this rainy weather is staying safe and warm. The rain keeps coming and with rain, we get some pretty wet roads and let’s face it, accidents happen, so please drive a little slower and perhaps, you can leave a little earlier to make sure you aren’t rushing. I know John and I are heading to San Diego this afternoon and we plan to leave a little earlier to make sure we are on time, and more importantly, we arrive to our destination safely.

This morning was a hard one for me to get out of bed. While I love the rain and cloudy skies, it’s still nice to stay cuddled up under the covers. I am glad I got up early though, I’ve been able to get some much needed things done around the house.

John’s had a crazy busy day at work and earlier he came out of his office, sat down next to me and shared how sitting with me for a few moments helps the spinning to stop. When he’s on overdrive, his head spins, almost like, he has so much to do and he knows what to do, however, with so many moving pieces in his job, sometimes he faces the challenge of which issue to tackle first.

I’m glad I can be his place of refuge when things get crazy busy and he spins. John says that being with someone you love helps the spinning in his mind to stop.

I know for me, when my mind spins it gets over the top cluttered. When I face anxiety and panic attacks, it’s even worse. I also have times when I can’t focus on any one thing and I spin out of control, meaning, I am all over the place with my thoughts. I also jump from project to project, and though I’m busy, I don’t seem to accomplish much. I’m glad I have someone who understands me and knows how to redirect my thinking or shows me it’s okay to give myself permission to just decompress by watching a movie or by doing a craft that I enjoy.

This is what spinning looks like for John and I, but what does it mean or what could it mean for someone else? What is the meaning of “my mind is spinning?” According to goodtherapy.org, May 20, 2015, it says this. “Sometimes, anxiety feels a lot like riding too fast on a spinning carousel at an amusement park. It takes hold of a particular thought or fear and spins on it nonstop. It’s frustrating and exhausting, and it can feel out of our control. So this leaves us with the next question, is head spinning a symptom of anxiety?

Healthline.com answers the question this way. “Fight or flight response. Anxiety and anxiety disorders often cause feelings of dizziness, among other similar symptoms. Sometimes this is due to sudden changes in blood pressure, which can lead to feelings of wooziness or lightheadedness.”

So when our minds are spinning, according to the above articles, it’s a form of anxiety. Makes sense to me, because when I’m spinning I do have anxiety. APA.org, defines anxiety as an emotion characterized by feeling of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure. It is however, not the same as fear, though fear and anxiety are often used interchangeably.

APA.org says, anxiety is considered a future-oriented, long-acting response broadly focused on a diffuse threat, whereas fear is an appropriate, present-oriented and short-lived response to a clearly identifiable and specific threat.

When we are anxious, we tend to avoid the situation or maybe our minds begin to spin as I like to call it. For me, when I spin, I am not able to get things done, however, on a positive note, I am more aware and able to recognize when I’m spinning. Still working on the triggers of anxiety and spinning.

I think John is right, having someone you love and who loves you, sure does help to stop the spin.

What about those who have nobody to call their own, either by choice or by circumstance? I hope you know, you are never alone. You are loved and cared about and you can always reach out, I’d love to be there for you if you need a friend.

It truly is a blessing from God to know we have friends to help us through the good, the bad and the ugly times. People truly do want to be there for us and help us and I hope this blog is another source for anyone who may need a friend. I hope if you are spinning you can reach out to a partner, a friend or someone here on this blog page. We all need someone to be there for us, at least every once in awhile.

Let’s spread some love and kindness each and every day, goodness knows, the world could use some.

Well guys, I need to be saying goodbye for now, so until next time, don’t forget to, Love Life++ hugs