By Stephanie Nelson, Anxiety Freedom Coach, CTNC
I know that when many of us think of anxiety, we think of a long-term mental illness that someone is just born with or is stuck with their entire lives. Or maybe we think of anxiety as something that starts suddenly from a major trauma or major life changes—hello 2020—such as a big move, change of jobs (voluntary or involuntary), death of a loved one, divorce, deployments, etc. We can all agree that we feel imprisoned by our own mind and body, and we're not living our fullest, most joyful life because of the anxiety.
What if you could flip the script on anxiety for yourself and learn to overcome it holistically? You might be thinking, “Yeah, I wish,” or “I’ve tried that but it didn’t work,” or “Is that even possible?” Well, keep reading my friends because I’m about to change the way you think about your anxiety, and it will have you jumping with joy!
I’ve found that the biggest misconception about anxiety is that it is a weakness and there’s little that can be done to improve or overcome it. Chronic overthinking, the need for control, mood imbalances, and generalized fear or overreaction to everyday events is just the way our brain works. I’m here to tell you all that is false.
Anxiety is a symptom of underlying issues. Whether it be physical (nutrient deficiencies, poor sleep habits, food sensitivities, toxins, hormone imbalances, sedentary lifestyle, etc), psychological (past trauma, hereditary harmful beliefs or thought processes, chronic negative mindset, stress, etc) or spiritual (low self-esteem, isolation, no belief in a higher power, no connection to nature, etc.) there are root causes of the anxiety symptom. There are about 15 major causes of anxiety, and when I was at my worst with my anxiety, before I really even knew what was going on and what to do about it, I was dealing with about 9 of those major causes at varying degrees. And this is actually very common.
I rarely find with my clients that it’s just one thing because we are all complex human beings with complex lives and histories. That might seem daunting, but here’s the good news: it is very possible to overcome these root causes naturally and feel joyful and confident in your life without always having the constant worry, panic attacks, or settling for a life entrapped by anxiety.
Here are my top 5 tips to help you start to feel less anxious, more energetic, and less fearful in your day-to-day life:
Get your sleep right - if you aren’t sleeping well or enough, you must start here. Improve your sleep, and your mood, stress, and anxiety WILL get better. My One Week to Better Sleep digital program covers all things sleep.
Clean up your diet - and by “diet” I don’t mean some fad way of eating for a short period of time. I mean the foods and beverages you consume on a daily basis. If you are experiencing high levels of anxiety and have never consulted with a holistic professional who helped you customize what to eat for you, you most likely are not eating as healthy as you think.
Cut the caffeine - yes I know, I’m sorry, but it's for your own benefit.
Pay attention to your thoughts - and start to question them. Your thoughts can be just as damaging to your physical and mental health as the foods and beverages you consume. Ask yourself, “Is that true?” Then start to reframe your thinking and decide what you want to be true by using positive words, not negative (your brain only responds in this way). One of the free resources I provide to all guides you through a 3-step process that helps you do this.
Work through past trauma - the technique I use (Transformational Trauma Technique) is very beneficial but there are others that clients have found helpful such as EMDR.
As you work through these 5 areas, you’ll start to feel less anxious, more confident, and more joyful in your day-to-day life. I’ve seen businesses start to thrive, relationships improve, and people taking more healthy risks out of love, and not stopped by fear.
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