Lady Henevere: Year in review

[Lady Henevere]

It's close to 100 and we've been under an excessive heat warning all weekend. Everything growing looks droopy and sad. The things that were brown or yellow have become brittle and crunchy. All the small things are drying up and dying; the big ones just look pathetic. The chickens drop their wings and pant through open beaks. The rabbits stretch out and lie still. DD disappears to the neighbors' pool. Although my mood really needs a lift and I could use some outside time, considering the heat it's probably best that I'm inside working. Er...that is...I'm playing on sufficient self and thinking about the work I should be doing.....

I am not handling the stress of two teenagers in high school very well. I'm a worrier by nature and I keep waking up worrying about things I can't control in their lives, and things I can't control in my own life. DD says to me, You need to chill. Indeed, little one, but how? I can't turn my brain off in the middle of the night, when the world is silent enough to allow me to hear the plink, plink, plink of worries dropping through my head like mental Chinese water torture that just won't let me sleep. I wake up after about four hours and the thoughts start: "Did you email the Spanish teacher about changing DD's schedule?" "Will cousin be too overwhelmed by AP chemistry?" "Did you find out the deadline for registration for the PSAT?" "Did DD need something for cross-country tryouts?" It's never-ending. And like clockwork, every night around 5:15 my worries have finally worn themselves out and I want to drift off to sleep, but the alarm is set for 5:30 so I can get ready for work and the morning carpool. A day of caffeine to keep me relatively coherent on too little sleep, a tired evening where I try to take care of everyone's needs, and four hours' sleep before the worries start their relentless plink, plink, plink again.

Maybe I need to go read that anxiety thread.

Sorry to be a downer, but that's where I am. Tired and worried (over nothing, BTW -- both kids are absolutely fantastic. The chickens have survived the de-worming efforts too, which is great). If anyone has good advice about making a worried mind shut the heck up I would love to hear it.

 

[colowyo0809]

It's close to 100 and we've been under an excessive heat warning all weekend. Everything growing looks droopy and sad. The things that were brown or yellow have become brittle and crunchy. All the small things are drying up and dying; the big ones just look pathetic. The chickens drop their wings and pant through open beaks. The rabbits stretch out and lie still. DD disappears to the neighbors' pool. Although my mood really needs a lift and I could use some outside time, considering the heat it's probably best that I'm inside working. Er...that is...I'm playing on sufficient self and thinking about the work I should be doing.....

I am not handling the stress of two teenagers in high school very well. I'm a worrier by nature and I keep waking up worrying about things I can't control in their lives, and things I can't control in my own life. DD says to me, You need to chill. Indeed, little one, but how? I can't turn my brain off in the middle of the night, when the world is silent enough to allow me to hear the plink, plink, plink of worries dropping through my head like mental Chinese water torture that just won't let me sleep. I wake up after about four hours and the thoughts start: "Did you email the Spanish teacher about changing DD's schedule?" "Will cousin be too overwhelmed by AP chemistry?" "Did you find out the deadline for registration for the PSAT?" "Did DD need something for cross-country tryouts?" It's never-ending. And like clockwork, every night around 5:15 my worries have finally worn themselves out and I want to drift off to sleep, but the alarm is set for 5:30 so I can get ready for work and the morning carpool. A day of caffeine to keep me relatively coherent on too little sleep, a tired evening where I try to take care of everyone's needs, and four hours' sleep before the worries start their relentless plink, plink, plink again.

Maybe I need to go read that anxiety thread.

Sorry to be a downer, but that's where I am. Tired and worried (over nothing, BTW -- both kids are absolutely fantastic. The chickens have survived the de-worming efforts too, which is great). If anyone has good advice about making a worried mind shut the heck up I would love to hear it.

have you tried melatonin? it's not so much for shutting of the worried mind as it is for getting a full good nights sleep
and

 

[deb4o]

Sorry to hear about your worries, yes having teen can be very stressful, I have a 19 yr old son,that I worry about all time-he is out of high school(we both surivived that ordeal) but I worry about him finding a job and getting on with his life.

The only thing I can recommand for stress if PRAYER and lots of it.

Don't worry all will be well as it should be, it will cool off and maybe you will get a little rain for that garden, the chickens and rabbits will make it though the heat wave as will you.

And your teens are going be just fine, have faith.

Sending lot of hugs and good thought your way!

 

[savingdogs]

Try meditation. I used to have that same issue, but I learned to meditate and I can put myself right to sleep now.

 

[Wannabefree]

You need natural sedatives to help you relax and sleep. The rest...is pretty much normal. Sorry about that :/ I go through the same with mine, but I have ONE, so I can not even begin to imagine what you're going through with two..wait, yeah I kind of can, I used to have two, but not teens at the same time!! Deeeeeeeep breaths!

 

[DianeS]

In the past, I have assigned myself set hours in which I was allowed to worry. If something came to mind any other time, I had to write it down and worry about it later. As silly as it sounds, it actually worked!

So I'd keep paper and pen handy, and start a list. Did I remember to pay the electric bill? What day is the big presentation at work again? Will the dry cleaner really get that stain out? Etc.

Amazingly, several of the worries turned in to tasks - ones I could just DO and then forget about. The rest were sentenced to my worry time, which got smaller and smaller as the time moved on.

I highly recommend trying it. You may be annoyed at sitting up and making a list in the middle of the night, but once it's on paper it's much easier to tell your mind to shut up about it. You'll run out of things to write down on your worry list, and sleep can come earlier. Then do your worrying at a more convenient time. Like I said, it sounds silly, but worked for me!

 

[abifae]

Take a day just for you and go elsewhere. The kids are teens, they can handle a day alone. Scrape together the money for some pampering!

 

[MorelCabin]

I second prayer...and trust me, I have gone through two teens that have put me through everything you can imagine and then some you could never imagine. But when I close my eyes in prayer at night and dedicate each one of my family to God's keeping, I can face the night with no worries. And I sleep well!!

 

[ORChick]

I don't have teens, but I do often have the early morning wake-up-and-can't-go-back to-sleep syndrome. Plink plink plink is a very good description . I have found that putting the brain onto some other task sometimes helps; Start doing the multiplication tables in your head, and your inner voice can't get a word in edgewise . This worked better when I really had to think about the tables; now they are pretty automatic for me, so the little voice has a better chance . Doesn't have to be math, just something repetitive that requires some thought, but not a lot.
If I suspect that I might have a night like that, or if I know I have to be up at a certain time and can't afford the lost sleep, I take a valerian tablet before bed. Valerian calms that little voice, and lets you drift off, and wake up refreshed in the morning. I only do this when I think to take it at bedtime, not at at 3:00 in the morning. A hot drink of something soothing and non-alcoholic before bed might help too. Some people swear by warm milk (not me! ); catnip or chamomile tea are both calming.
I like the idea of starting a list, and putting it all off for a specific *worry* time. I think I might give that a try.

 

[hillfarm]

no caffeinne. Make gobs of lists. These are my tactics.

If I write it down, I dont seem to worry about it threw the night.

I also cut the tea back.

Oh and my one life saver, I take a single dose of benadryl when things are just too much and i just cant fall asleep. Works wonders.