What's your number?

I've had more than one experience of how difficult it is to communicate what you are feeling and discomfort. Mental illness is so vague that often you don't know what you're feeling. Thresholds of pain, either physical or mental, are quite subjective. I have a tip for you that will make this easier, and it's quite obvious when you think about it. All you have to do is grade what you feel from one to ten where ten is almost unbearable. So if you say to someone that your anxiety level is, let's say eight or nine, the person would understand that it is quite high based on his or her experiences.

Grading anxiety, depression and any other problems also helps you in your journey of recovery. Again, describing what you are feeling isn't always that easy. But you do, however, feel a change of some sort. Is it better or worse? Try to grade how you are feeling after each session of training. Writing down a word or two doesn't hurt either if there's something special. Putting a number to your current state is a great start, though.

Then the question of when to be satisfied might come up. Is it benefitial to set the anxiety level of one as a goal if you're constantly up around eight, nine or even ten? Or maybe that's contradictory to what you would like to achieve? Perhaps you can be satisfied around a four. A lot of work has been done as long as the anxiety isn't bigger than you can still be in the situation. Any progression is worth smiling for. Experiencing a few relapses is expected, so no need to grind bad thoughts because of that. Two steps back is a good deal if you advance four or five steps next turn, right?