Facial tension and how to improve my wellbeing

[Starwars]

I can feel alright before i go to bed but in the morning I can have feelings of anxiety and on my left hand side of my face it feels slightly numb. It is difficult to explain the feeling I have but it does wear off and I am wondering if it is a feeling if I am depressed. I have been furloughed from work for over two months and because I am at home most of the time the feelings of anxiety that I have with everyday life should be a lot less so why am I feeling some anxiety at times.

i feel that times have changed when i was younger and especially in last five years where things in my life became difficult. i had a roller coaster ride and had job problems, family problems especially with my mother-in-law which cause us a lot of stress and my husband and i nearly went into a psychiatric ward, then my health deteroriated.

I want to know how to deal with changes and stress in life even driving is annoying me as i used to love driving but not anymore there are so many careless drivers. i can sometimes go into meltdown and i do not want to be this way I want to change but how please

[Carol Wright]

Thank you for asking that question. You clearly have had a lot happen to you over the last 5 years and with the unprecedented times of being furloughed. Lots of people are currently suffering from anxiety as they are unsure what happens next and when they are due to go back to work.

Stress can come out in the body in all sorts of guises and at night when you think you are asleep, your mind can be wandering around over things that happen daily or in the past. Facial aches in the morning are normally from where you grit or grind your teeth and are tense in the night. This can also lead to a stiff neck and the numbness that you describe, especially if it wears off once you are awake.

My question to you is what are you anxious about? It is worth just getting paper and dumping all those thoughts out so that you can see what is really bothering you as clearly when your brain is inactive the subconscious element gets to work. So when you are driving a car you unconsciously drive on auto pilot but your brain is thinking other things and thats why you get annoyed at others.

it would be useful to try some relaxation techniques before bed to try and calm the mind. Try not listening to the news before you sleep, turning off all electronic devices at least an hour before sleep and decreasing caffeine after 7pm. Anything sugary can make your mind race at night too.

Dealing with the anxiety is key. It is good to talk to someone who can listen to you and for you to get things off your chest. If you tend to bottle things up, then thats the overwhelm you talk about.

By learning to deal with each element that is concerning you, you will begin to feel less anxious and start to sleep better. As coaches that we do to support people to make habit and behaviour changes and Im here and happy to help you. Let me know how you get on with your brain dump.

[Joanna Shurety]

Hello

Carol has given some great tips and I would echo everything she says. Its great you recognise that something is wrong - its important that you don't dismiss it or ignore it, stress can be incredibly debilitating and can impact both physically and mentally so acknowledging it, addressing it, speaking about it and forming a plan - whether that be little steps will help. I would encourage you to share your worries with someone you trust and ask for help with whats worrying you.

[Starwars]

I will try as you have suggested Carol. I have spoken to friends but they do not understand my concerns unfortunately. Also I have been to a counselor who just listened to me but did not give me any advice.

I have a lot of anger from challenges of life and people who have disappointed me.

I need to relax more and address my negative thoughts and gain confidence.

When I can do this then I can feel better in my self. At the moment a friend is causing me a lot of grief as she has changed in the last few years which has been annoying me