Fighting Anxiety and Stress.

Making accomplishments helps me, bonus points if it's something that requires physical exertion. Stuff like heavy-duty landscaping, or remodeling a room (painting, moving furniture). On a less physical scale, creative things like painting and drawing or making jewelry. Something where I can look at the results and say, "Yay, I did that!"

When my mom was hospitalized before she died, I think participating in Project 365 kept me sane. It was a photography thing, where I'd take at least one photo every day for a full year. So I had to get out of the house (mostly walking the dog, sometimes going for rides) and look for things that inspired me. Birds and other animals, flowers and leaves and landscapes, sunsets, cityscapes. It forced me to find beauty in a time when everything felt bleak.

Also... bubblebaths and a good book.

All of THIS^^^.

Plus this -- don't be so hard on yourself. You're a stay-at-home-mom of two young kids. When I was one, it was very hard emotionally (and physically). I felt pretty isolated sometimes (even tho I had mom friends w/kids), I felt like I wasn't worth much, wasn't doing much (even though you're really doing a heck of a LOT), and was on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs all the time. Understand that this is a really wonderful but really BRUTUAL time for you as a woman. It let me wondering who I was, what I wanted, what I was gonna do with myself after kids...and at the same time, feeling like a terrible mother most of the time, because I wanted to be so darned good at it if it was my FT job! :noway: :noway:

What always makes me fall into a funk faster and longer is beating myself up about stuff -- telling myself, "GOD, why do I feel this way?! What's WRONG with me?!? Why can't I just be HAPPY?!! Why can't I be MORE, try HARDER, DO more, blah blah blah." I still do it, trust me...but I try to remember how much better things go when I don't do it. Try to be gentle with yourself.

Plus the fact that you're working out every day despite everything else...? :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: Give yourself kudos. And take a look at those photos in your profile again! You've made great progress already -- celebrate that.

And hang in there...it's tough.

I just get into working out... I get streesed and have bouts with depression... but I start my work out and by the time its over I feel much better...

This ^
Ahhhhhhhhh that's great !!!!!!!

yoga helps me calm down, having some one to talk to is a plus too.

Haing young kids is tough....remember to cut yourself some slack. Getting out of the house alone is helpful. Working out is fabulous. Getting enough sleep is tough but soooo beneficial. And ditto, know you are not alone. I read a great book, humourous and helpful called "I was a really good mom before I had kids" by Kathy Bucksworth.

Calm breathing helps.

http://www.anxietybc.com/sites/default/files/CalmBreathing.pdf

Also, map out or write down the things that make you anxious, then rank them in order.

Once the list is prioritized, you can develop a coping strategy.

Typically, a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and medication works the best. While medication is often demonized, an SSRI at the right dose if often very effective in helping anxiety, however, cognitive therapy is ultimately the key.

One of the best things for depression is sun. I don't know why. Next best thing is physical activity. Again I don't know why but whenever I got into a dark hole those are what worked the best for digging out of it. As for the anxiety, your bestie is your BFF for a reason. We are social animals and when we don't get enough interaction people start to get stressed. If you don't have a social net, start building one. Sometimes it just helps to sit with a cohort and talk about whatever comes to mind.