Anxiety Busters

07 Sep Anxiety Busters

Posted at 11:46h in Wellbeing by hctswellness

Hands shaky, heart pounding, stomach uneasy….these are all very common symptoms of ANXIETY.  Whether it’s chronic, severe or a minor upset, it can be hard to grasp perspective and come back to what feels normal.  We have all had anxiety at some point in our life, the trick is being self aware enough to know what you are feeling and to get ahead of it with some best practices.

It’s easier to stay in bed, it’s easier to lean on Ben & Jerry’s, it’s easier to take it out on loved ones, forgo self care, load up on caffeine and finish a bottle of wine.  Don’t choose easier!  It will only prolong the yucky feeling and will certainly not solve your problems.

When you feel symptoms of anxiety coming on, get ahead of it.  Here are my favorite tricks to do just that so that you can get back to your normal and tackle the challenge.

 

  1. Wake up 5 minutes earlier than normal to make a DAILY PRIORITY LIST.  Take your top 2-3 things that you need to accomplish or people  you need to tend to and everything else can wait.
  2. After your Priority List, write a GRATITUDE LIST. This is so important!  You may think, “oh of course I’m grateful” but it’s not until you truly take that pen to the paper and put it out there that you can physically see the list of how abundant your life is and it honestly just feels so much better to see that.
  3. It can be three minutes.  Just close your eyes, breathe really deep and focus on nothing other than your breath.  It’s actually impossible to feel both relaxed and anxious at the same time so take a beat and slow that heartrate.
  4. MOVE in a way that feels good. You may typically run 3 miles every morning or practice HIIT 3 days/wk but your body doesn’t really know the difference in the “Fight or Flight” mode if you are working out really hard or stressing really hard.  So, give your body a break!  Try Yoga, Walking or Low Impact movement.
  5. DROP THE ALCOHOL. Alcohol has a tendency to make our hearts race, dehydrate us and deepen our emotions.  If you are already stressing, the wine may feel good for a bit, but it will likely backfire on you as you are “coming down” from it.  Instead try Chamomile Tea which has natural relaxation properties.
  6. Consider a supplement. L-Theanine, Rhodiola Rosea and GABA are all holistic supplements with proven results to help lessen anxiety.
  7. Know that you are loved and beautiful and it’s all going to be ok.

 

 

Certainly, if the anxiety has turned to chronic sorrow, feelings of despair and/or life threatening thoughts, you need to see a medical practitioner without feeling ashamed or embarrassed.  Depression is SO common and it’s absolutely treatable so don’t wait, take care of yourself!