So far this month, we’ve talked about what anxiety is, why it happens and who you can reach out to for help. This week we talk about tending to your own anxiety with tools you can learn and cultivate.
What can I do on my own?
Nutrition
A healthy diet is everything. If you eat poorly, you will feel poorly. Limit processed foods (most things that come in a box and fast food), added sugars (obvious ones are candy but sugars can hide in things like pasta sauce, salsa, ketchup and peanut butter), alcohol and caffeine (especially drinks with lots of sweeteners and additives).
Read
On my journey to tending to my own anxiety, books have been (and continue to be) key. Here are three of my favorites:
- Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
- Calm my Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow
Quiet time
Meditate, yoga, dance, deep breathing, acupuncture, massage. Get yourself alone in a room where you can simply be. So much of our lives are spent “doing”. We get tired, we hurt and we’re cranky so we gulp down coffee and keep going, instead of asking our bodies, “Why are you tired? Why do you hurt? How can I help you?” Our bodies are talking to us all the time. We just need to listen.
Supplements
Sometimes our anxiety is related to a deficiency of a certain vitamin or mineral. Some well-known deficiencies that can lead to anxiety are B5, B9, B12 and magnesium. Our Chiropractors are well-versed in this topic. Click here for more information on them.
There are so many other ways to help tend to your anxiety. We’d love to hear what has helped you! Leave a comment below and share what’s worked.
Come back next week for Part 5: Rachel’s closing remarks
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