This blog will be dedicated to feelings.  Since I wrote Mice in My Tummy to address anxiety in children, I will start with anxiety in my own life. 
Anxiety: painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary).
I can tell you how anxiety manifests itself in my life.  In one word "Worry".  I get highly anxious when something is new or unknown, especially when it involves my children.  My girls are all grown and in their 20's.  When they were small, I used to imagine the day when they were grown, on their own and taking care of themselves.  I figured  my life would get easier, especially with the day to day worries and craziness.  Well, I am still waiting....
While life has not gotten harder in regards to my grown children, it is definitely much different than I ever imagined it would be. I get anxious over the silliest things and that feeling tends to grow and have life of its own.  Here is an easy example: One of my daughters is having a hard day.  She is having some interpersonal issues with someone at work and she calls me from her car, during a work break, crying.  I listen to her trying to talk, not understanding a word she is saying and all I can tell her is "Breath honey, Breath!".  She hangs up after 10 minutes and I still haven't understood a word she was saying. 
So now my "anxiety" takes off and makes up some crazy scenarios.  Scenario one:  she goes back to work and her issues are handed up to her supervisor who holds her accountable for all the problems and she is issued a stern warning.  Scenario two:  when she gets back into work, everyone there ignores her and won't give her the time of day  Scenario three:  the person she had problems with is mad because she went up her chain of command to complain and follows her home. 
You can see where this is going.  Through years of counseling (ack, my secret is out) I have learned to reign in my anxiety and get control in a few easy steps. Well, theoretically the steps are easy. 
First, I make sure I am breathing (inhale, exhale) and find a calm state of mind.  Second, I take a close look at my perceived anxiety situations and order them from least to greatest.  Third, while all of the above scenarios could be possible, are they highly likely (on a scale of 1 - 100) to really occur and fourth, is it really the end of the world if they do occur.  By the time I have gotten my breathing under control and looked closely at my festooning anxiety, I see it for what it really is.  My worry needed an outlet and it used my imagination in a very creative manner. 
I find out, in a much calmer phone call, that my daughter was PMS'ing, she was working her first midnight rotation and she was having personal problems with her boyfriend.  What does this have to do with the interpersonal issue at work??  Well, other than giving her own emotions and anxiety wings, not too much.  She just needed to hear mom on the other end of the phone to complete her meltdown.
I would love to hear some of your stories concerning your children and anxiety.
Talk to you later,
Andi

Hello friends.  I now have 3 children's picture books published: Mice in My Tummy, Stop That Pudding! and J.P.'s Halloween Parade.  The themes are anxiety in children, healthy snacking and random acts of kindness.  Stop by my publishers page and take a look!

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/jps-parade.htm (J.P.'s Halloween Parade)


http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/mice-tummy.htm (Mice in My Tummy)


http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/pudding.htm (Stop That Pudding!)


I am working on a chapter book for the tweeners (8-12 years old) and one other picture book. 
Any words of encouragement you might have to keep me motivated will be absolutely appreciated!