Popping thoughts

[MAB]

I am supposed to reflect back to a time when I have been totally relaxed
I can not find one time in my 66 yrs that I have been totally relaxed.
I can reflect on times when I had a good time and had fun but never
relaxed. so what do I do.?:) any suggestions.

[tracy78]

There mist have been a time in your life when you were relaxed. Go deeper and further back. When you're anxious, it's really hard to remember the relaxing times.

[MAB]

I really try to remember but i really cant
i know it sounds terrible but i just can not recall a relaxed
moment anytime in my past.
As i said lots of fun happy times but never relaxed
i just hope that it doesnt prevent me from recovery

[elderwanda]

I've tried to post a response a few times, but kept getting interrupted. Maybe you've found something that works, but perhaps not.

I had trouble with this as well. I'm a fairly low-key, relaxed person in general, but I don't have specific memories that are useful for something like this. I don't think there's any special requirement for it to be a real memory. It can be a fantasy, or imagined music, or visual images. Whatever works. I think the idea is merely to take you away from the anxiety-producing thoughts that cause trouble while driving.

Is there something that really interests you? Gardening, plate tectonics, cello music, Isaac Asimov books, chocolate chip cookies, Doctor Who, Ancient China? I don't know, I'm just listing random things, but maybe there is a certain topic that would be good to think about.

Personally, what works really well for me is a mental image of a scene from "Sweeney Todd," with Alan Rickman's Judge Turpin saying, "Funny, when I offered myself to her, she showed a certain reluctance." I picture him doing his little eyebrow raise, and I just love it, because it's such a funny scene, and he's an actor I admire very much. That's not a personal memory, nor a tradition "relaxing" image, but it does the job for me. Ha ha! Very strange, I know.

Don't worry too much if you can't find a specific personal memory to work with. Like I say, I honestly don't think it matters if it's something that actually happened at all.

I hope this helps.

Evelyn