Living with anxiety is hard, trust me I know. There are no cures for it and there is a list a mile long of triggers. There are, however, a lot of things we can do to be proactive in managing it. Adopting anxiety lowering self care practices and taking note of what our body tells us can help to limit our attacks and make them more controllable when they do come about.
Being proactive is especially important if you’re predisposed to anxiety and overwhelm.
Anxiety lowering self care 1:
Take note of how food makes you feel. What ramps up your anxiety? What calms you?
For most of us, caffeine and sugar are prime suspects. Processed foods and natural sugars like fruit and honey can also be a culprit. Keep a food journal of what you eat and how it makes you feel for a week or two and see if you can put anything together from it.
Luckily, just as there are foods that increase this unwanted energy, there are also foods that lower it. Drinking chamomile tea, ashwaganda or lemon balm tea can calm you. Grounding foods like nuts, seeds and root vegetables can also help you stay connected to your body and out of your head.
I have a post on grounding foods here.
Anxiety lowering self care 2:
Things that activate your body can help ground you and calm your nervous system. It can look like:
- Dry brushing
- Lotioning /massaging yourself
- Exercise
Pick up the routine of dry brushing and self massage. It not only helps you to ground yourself which lowers anxiety but it also reduces cellulite. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving. It’s a super simple practice that you can learn quickly and easily here.
You’ll wanna dry brush before your shower and lotion your body afterwards.
Exercise is a mode of not only getting yourself into your body and out of your head but also of releasing the extra energy that manifests as anxiety.
Our ancestors didn’t have time to sit very often. They worked from sun up to sun down tending their gardens and getting things done around the house for their basic needs.
Today, we’re lucky enough to have most of our needs met more or less automatically which leads us to have an excess of energy that isn’t burned. When this energy has no where to go, it escapes in the only way it knows how: via panic attacks.
Making sure you’re letting this energy out in a positive way can help reduce your attacks. It doesn’t have to be hardcore cross fit or anything. Taking a walk or doing some gentle yoga stretches will suffice.
Anxiety Lowering Self Care 3:
Creating space for yourself is one of the most important practices you can have to reduce anxiety.
Our world is so stimulating now with the rise of technology. So many of us never hear a moment of silence.
Take technology detoxes even if they’re only 10 -30 minutes long. Try going for a walk without your phone, adopt reading for a bit before bed and skipping that last phone check before you turn in. It’ll be ok until morning.
Create sacred space in your life, consider removing the tv from your bedroom and maybe cutting it off when it’s only background noise. Try and become comfortable with the silence and your own thoughts.
Adopt a journaling practice, create the ambiance of calm with candles, salt lamps and plants. Take the extra 2 minutes to turn your diffuser on.
Little things sprinkled throughout your day can make THE biggest difference in the world.
Write down your plans for incorporating more anxiety lowering self care throughout your day.
- What one thing can you commit to today?
- What one thing will you commit to this weekend?
- What one thing can you commit to making a regular routine out of?
It doesn’t have to be all of the things right now. But physically write down what you want to start doing and place it on your fridge, mirror or dresser. Somewhere you’ll see it often.
Over the next few weeks or months, begin incorporating them one at a time. When one thing becomes a habit, add another, then another.
Don’t try to do everything over night. We’re not here to put bandaids over gaping wounds. Healing takes time and it’s an ever evolving process. Commit to your progress. Small, continuous lifestyle changes are invaluable.
If you could use some help breaking through your barriers, message me and we’ll see if I have something for you.
Other Articles You May Enjoy:
- Yin and Yang; Finding Balance as a Whole
- Using the Chakra’s Colors to Heal & Manage Yourself; Multi-Dimensionally
- Understanding Control Dramas; The 6th Insight of The Celestine Prophecy
- Transform Your Limiting Beliefs: 5 Practical Steps to Embracing an Abundance Mindset
- The Second Insight: Understanding How History Created Our World
Author
S.S.Blake; Spiritual Life Coach, Yoga + Meditation Teacher and Founder of Earth and Water
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