stairs

[sleepyby8]

Well...I went to work today and the thought of climbing the stairs to my office really got me worked up...not to mention all the thinking I did about it while getting ready for work! It made me sweat to think about it! For some reason running out of breath going up the stairs is my trigger....and then not being able to catch my breath . I do. get a little breathless when I climb them but never terribly so. Why does this thought just keep coming back? I tell myself its only anxiety but it keeps creeping back in. Any advice is greatly welcomed!

[Nanner823]

I could stand to hear that advice as well.

[CBird]

Well, assuming you are not a smoker, not over weight or out of shape. You know that being out of breath goes hand in hand with those things when climbing stairs, right? If some of those are true, you go slow, make some changes. But you know you go up those stairs atleast twice a day if you go out to lunch and you never really, truly, LOSE your breath. How long have you worked there? So that statement and thought is not true, right? Maybe you have anxiety about whats at the top of the stairs that starts the sensation of not catching your breath. Whats up there? Is it someone? Is it too high? Do you like your job? How do you feel coming down the steps?

[sleepyby8]

Thanks for your insight, CBird! I am out of shape...and the stairs are steep so it is natural for me to breathe heavy after climbing them. I also suffer from PTSD following the death of my daughter who I watched code 2 times in the PICU...so I'm thinking alot of my anxiety arises from that. Oh...the yucky, cyclical thoughts we put in our minds! Well, here I go to climb them again! Wish me positive thinking!

[THH]

Sleep by 8,
For me when I catch myself getting obsessive thoughts such as climbing steps, change what I am thinking. I put up a stop sign and say things like Ken in the tapes. "thoughts only thoughts." Then think of something different like what am I going to make for dinner? or what movie do I want to see?

I also may ask myself what is really bothering me??? Am I afraid of running out of breath? Am I afraid of something that I want to avoid? If I can find out a certain thing that is bothering me and break it down I can work though it. If I can't I just distract with something else. Usually after a period of time I can link it to something and work on that.

You can too.
Be kind to your self!!!!

P.S. So sorry to hear of your loss.