Natural Tips for Anxiety
Anxiety is a healthy emotion. However, most people tend to have an overreaction to anxiety that causes them distress and interferes with their quality of life.
Distressing levels of anxiety is often a sign of a dysregulated nervous system. Learning the things you can do within your control to decrease your distress level and manage anxiety in healthy way is a good place to start!
Avoid caffeine.
Caffeine is an addictive stimulant that activates your CNS (central nervous system) and restricts blood flow to the brain. It causes physical symptoms of anxiety, like increased heart rate, sweating, shakiness, and negatively impacts mood causing overwhelm and racing thoughts. It also disturbs sleep and causes inflammation in the body. We know poor quality sleep only makes our mood and health worse, and that pain is caused by inflammation, so why put something in your body that exacerbates both? Caffeine is also an Endocrine disruptor meaning it imbalances your hormones.
IF you must drink caffeine, it’s recommended to have under 200mg AFTER you’ve eaten a protein-filled meal and don’t consume caffeine after 12pm. However, I would recommend finding an alternative. If you use caffeine to boost energy levels, it’s actually not increasing energy. It’s overstimulating your CNS and causing panic in the system. Opt for a green tea which is lower in caffeine or a protein-filled meal and Vitamin B supplement instead.
Move your body.
Exercise releases feel-good chemicals in the brain that boost mood. It provides your body an outlet for your anxious energy, stress, and stored emotions. Plus sweat is how you detox your body from toxins! Exercise also improves sleep quality, which is directly correlated to mood.
Try a Magnesium supplement.
Magnesium is a brain health mineral! It promotes positive mood and emotional balance, offers quality, restorative sleep, and improves memory, concentration, and focus! It also supports women’s hormonal health.
Purge the toxins in your environment!
Toxins disrupt hormones and negatively affect mental health. Assess the ingredients in your beauty and cleaning products, and avoid anything with fragrance or artificial scents, like candles and plug-in air fresheners. We recommend using Think Dirty app to scan and purge your products!
Assess what you’re eating.
You are what you eat! Toxins are also found in our food! Avoid alcohol, sugars, processed foods, artificial flavors & sweeteners, seed & vegetable oils, fried foods, and white carbs & starches. Instead, opt for whole, organic foods with healthy levels of protein!
Check out this blog we love from Amen Clinics: What is an Elimination Diet and Why Your Mental Health Needs One.
Challenge anxious thinking!
Don’t believe every thought you have! If you find yourself often worrying about worst case scenarios, ask yourself what’s most likely to happen instead. Practice shifting your thinking away from what-if thoughts by focusing on what’s in your control rather than stressing about what’s not.
Don’t try to manage it alone!
Individual Counseling is a great way to process anxiety and learn effective ways to cope with it. We know how challenging it may be to implement some of the above natural tips. We also know how debilitating anxiety and panic can be. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, and Mindfulness are evidence-based interventions that can improve your anxiety symptoms.
Schedule a Complimentary Consultation!
We are a hybrid mental health and wellness practice using a holistic approach to improve your mental wellness. We offer a complimentary consultation to allow you to meet the counselor before deciding to commit to therapy. You can conveniently view real-time counselor availability and schedule an appointment online here.
Getting Well Together!
*Please note this is not an exhaustive list of the causes of anxiety nor does it replace assessment or treatment for anxiety from a trained mental health professional.*
