Dealing with stress and anxiety

[LonArcvarden]

I'm a long-standing PH member and using a new account just as I wanted some anonymity.

I'm having some real issues with anxiety and stress. I always have I think but as I am turning 40 this year, I am more and more concerned about my long term health. I can feel an early grave coming on if I don't find a way to chill out.

I've noticed the following things:

• It's often when things are out of my control
• Most of the time things aren't even that bad objectively, in fact it's pretty light but due to no control it's hard to relax
• It's also made more intense when there are lots of things all at once, many of which depend on each other and again it's hard to plan/relax

I have read up on "Worry Tree" which is where you basically say if you CAN'T control it then focus elsewhere (bad at that bit) ... if you CAN control it then plan (I'm good at that bit).

I exercise, have a mostly decent home life, no money issues, etc. I don't sleep well but never have really.

Symptoms

• Shoulders up by my ears very tense and actually a bit painful
• Breathing is heavier and also quicker
• Bit shakey
• Irritable and very moody
• Edgy
• Hard to concentrate and relax in general

Has anyone else encountered similar to this, what are your coping mechanisms, what actually worked - not just "think about something else" but anything more tangible?

Thanks all

[MichaelSavan]

I’ve had patches where stress felt like it was piling up, and talking things through made a real difference for me. On rough days, even a short chat with someone who gets it helped me breathe a bit easier. I also tried mentalhealthhotline.org once during a wobble, and it steadied me enough to take the next step. Little bits of support can stack up in a good way.

[Suzetteard]

geometry dash encourages creativity beyond gameplay. Players not only complete levels but also experiment with animation, design, and even storytelling inside the editor. Some custom maps feel like short animated films combined with high-speed platforming challenges.