Thank you, Gilligan, for going public with this issue. I thought I was going crazy a couple weeks ago when I had a breakdown at a women's conference. I've never had a problem with crowds, but my mom the nurse told me I was having a panic attack and took me out the back door. I hyperventilated and was crying hysterically for no reason. It's been suggested that I may have had anxiety problems all along but used cigarette cravings as an excuse to get away from activities until I could calm down, and eventually I just believed I was having cravings every time. That day I went to my car and flipped through my herbal quick reference. I now put lemon essential oil on my shirts (a spot on the collar of work uniforms, a drop on the shoulder for shirts without collars) and smell it any time I'm feeling stressed or anxious. This helps me keep from clenching my jaw (I have 4 broken teeth from doing that) or getting overly emotional. The smell of lemons is supposed to trigger happiness and has been shown to reduce corticosterone levels in the brain. I'm not sure if that's the effect helping me or if taking a moment to stop everything, close my eyes, and slowly inhale a pleasant smell is what really takes the edge off. Either way, it's helping. I'm told lavender also works and many essential oils companies have anti-stress concoctions that smell nice.
Not everyone buys in to herbal stuff so just try any scent you enjoy. Put it on you collar, on a cloth in your pocket, anywhere you can take it out throughout the day and smell it. Scent is a strong biochemical trigger, so something that reminds you of a loved one or happy memory is ideal. The goal is to take a moment to just breath and push all the stress aside, just for a little while. After all, that's what a smoke break did for us before. I hope it helps you the way it has helped me.
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