Advice please(and soon if possible)

[Emma Wallace]

I have a meeting today with profs about a big project, and I know that having a meeting at all is a bad sign, so I'm very nervous. Then they made a mistake when setting up the meeting and I was sent private emails about myself that were very upsetting.

The last few days I have been coping with intense urges, and that's been going fairly well. The meeting is in a few hours and I feel nervous already, very nervous. Actually sitting in the meeting and coping afterwards is going to be very hard.

What might I be able to do/take that will help me calm down during and afterwards?

What sorts of coping strategies are subtle/portable?

Thanks in advance,
-E

[Green Beauty]

Seriously the best way is to focus on your breathing. Take deep breaths in and then exhale repeatedly. Get a steady rhythm going and it does produce calming effects.

[plantt]

bit late for that meeting i suppose. figured i'd toss a couple of things anyhow.

--wear something you feel comfortable in (to the extent that you can) or something that makes you feel good.
--be up-front. go in & say 'i'm feeling a bit nervous'
--remind yourself that even if things don't go as you'd have ideally liked... it's *not* the end of the world.
--be around people afterwards even if it's the last thing you want. go smell things... soaps, flowers... people-watch... listen to traffic...

hope things went alright yesterday

[RawBeing]

Em,

I think it important to acknowledge that anyone would feel nervous in your situation. The feelings that you're experience are normal and valid and should be treated as such. Professors are in a position of power and it very understandibly makes you feel uneasy. You have no reason to feel guilt (that's a really large assumption on my part) because you need to beable to take time for your mind, your body, and your health.

I talked to my couselor about what to about the "itch" feeling i get (the obsessive urge to scratch and bite) she told me that it sort of my body bringing me back into myself. Society demands that we spend so much time seporating ourselve from our body. So, she told me that i could make it into a positive thing. i.e. rubbing lotion where you might otherwise be cutting or taking a bath or making tea, getting a massage. Anything "body positive" is good.

Let me know what you think.

In solidarity,
Summer