AlissaFor the longest time I thought my feelings of nervousness, ruminating thoughts, and irrational fears were just the way everyone lived. It took me years to learn that what I was experiencing was anxiety. Which, millions of people do suffer from anxiety, so the way I was feeling is common for sure. But, anxiety does not need to be a constant state of being.
I’ve been open with my struggles with anxiety since the beginning because I know others can relate. To me, there’s nothing worse than suffering in silence, thinking everyone around you feels great and you’re the only one suffering. I tried anxiety medication for a short while, but it just didn’t feel right for me. I wanted to try treating it holistically first before I went back to medication. So, over the past few years I’ve read about and tried many different, holistic methods for tackling anxiety.
Below are a list of my favorite hacks for anxiety. Most of these items are things I do daily.
Meditation: I will shout this from the rooftops, forever and always. Meditation can have amazing effects for everyone, but especially people who suffer from anxiety. Doing a five minute meditation when you’re super anxious does wonders. Doing at least five minutes of meditation every day? Life changing. You may not turn into some zen monk, but you’ll start noticing yourself getting less triggered by things that used to trigger you. You’ll get better at observing your thoughts rather than being controlled by them. My favorite meditation app is Insight Timer. If you’re a first time meditator, I would recommend starting with a short, guided meditation.
Exercise: For the longest time I hated exercise and resented anyone who recommended I should do it. Shut up! It’s not fun. Well, I actually like it now because of the feeling I get afterwards. I absolutely notice a difference in my levels of anxiety when I work out. I always picture that I have all this pent up anxiety and stress in my body, just needing to be expelled through exercise. What’s really happening is my body is producing endorphins that act as natural painkillers and reduce stress. I don’t always do a hard, sweat-dripping type of work out. Even a walk, a quick HIIT session, or stretching makes me feel better.
Watch Your Diet: Nourishing our bodies with foods that support us is essential. Having a healthy body is important for a healthy mind. If you’re often feeling anxious, take a look at the foods you’re eating. Try incorporating more foods that are known to reduce anxiety: nuts, fatty fish, and dark chocolate, are a few examples. And think about reducing your consumption of sugar, caffeine, and alcohol as these are known to exacerbate anxiety.
- Sugar: I try to avoid refined, white sugar as much as possible, I’ll use honey, coconut sugar, or maple syrup for a sweetner instead.
- Caffeine: I was a big coffee drinker. Then I noticed how much better I felt when I wasn’t drinking it, so for about two years I quit coffee. (I’m back to drinking it again lately and have been totally fine!) I know the way we metabolize caffeine is individual, but if you’re an anxiety sufferer, it’s worth looking into cutting back your consumption.
- Alcohol: I love red wine. And if you tell me I can’t drink it, you might make me more anxious. I just need to be careful with how much I drink. I try not to overdo it (not always successful in this) because hangovers make my anxiety go through the roof.
Drink Green Tea: When I quit coffee, matcha green tea became my daily morning drink. Green tea contains caffeine, but doesn’t give you the jitters. It’s more of a steady, calm energy. It contains L-theanine which is an amino acid that promotes mental relaxation and a more clear/alert state of mind so it’s great for an anxious person. Stay tuned— I’ll be sharing my favorite matcha latte recipe in the future!
Take Magnesium: I’ve taken this both in supplement form and as a drink powder. I personally like the brand Natural Vitality “Natural Calm” Magnesium powder the best because it feels instantly soothing. I first started drinking this on stressful days at my previous job. I put 1-2 tsp of powder into hot water when I’m feeling anxious, or at the end of the night to wind down. It relaxes your muscles and eases anxiety.
Practice Mindfulness: This is a buzzword for sure nowadays, but that’s because it’s incredibly powerful. When I practice mindfulness, I’m not consciously thinking I’m practicing mindfulness now! It just starts to become a state of being that I try to live in as often as possible. It’s about being present and observing instead of being yanked around by your thoughts and emotions. Honing this skill takes time (I’ll be working on this for life, I’m sure) and meditation boosts your ability to do this because you get into the habit of separating from your thoughts. My favorite mindfulness tactics are giving my thoughts different names and questioning my thoughts. I’ll break it down for you below.
- Name Your Thoughts: I create characters for each of the different thoughts I experience (anxiety, anger, guilt, etc.). When I start noticing anxious thoughts coming into my mind, I call it “Anxious Annie”, as if it’s a character within me. Oh, that’s just Anxious Annie popping in trying to make sure I’m ok! Thanks for your concern, I’m good. Sounds a little crazy, but it helps you disconnect from your thoughts. Anxiety is fear and our minds are just trying to protect us; so by welcoming in the thought, acknowledging it, and letting it go, we’re not fighting it and we’re not being controlled by it. I learned this tactic from listening to the 10% Happier Podcast with Dan Harris – a podcast all about meditation, I highly recommend.
- Question Your Thoughts: When an anxious thought pops in, don’t just believe it right away. I mean, you’re the one who created this thought, right? Think of all the other things you’re able to imagine in your mind – doesn’t make them real! Question why it’s there. Like I stated above, anxiety comes from fear and when you step back, you’ll notice you have the same types of fears and anxieties pop up all the time. Your mind is just trying to protect you.
- Below is an example of how this looks for me sometimes:
- Anxious Me: I just bought a new car and now I have no savings and I’m going to be broke and get into credit card debt!
- Questioning Me: Is this true? I’ve been fairly smart with money my whole life, I have a good job. Why would now be the time that I decide to start being reckless and get into a bunch of debt? I can create a budget and save money in other areas.
- Below is an example of how this looks for me sometimes:
My point is, our thoughts are irrational. We get afraid of what could happen. But when we question them with rationality, it neutralizes the thought. Everything is figure-out-able.
Read Spiritual Books: This one may feel weird or uncomfortable for some? But getting in touch with my own spirituality has been essential for living with anxiety. For some, what may resonate for you is reading the Bible and going to church; for others this may be reading Buddhist texts and going hiking. Getting in touch spiritually helps us to look at the world differently; we can put our anxieties into perspective in a completely new way; it helps us to feel supported and part of something bigger than ourselves. Reading spiritual books is an amazing gateway to start looking at the world differently. Like I said, for some this may be the Bible. For me personally, two books that really resonated were The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Luiz and The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra. If you want lighter, less “woo-woo” reading that’s still going to open your mind up in a spectacular way, You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero is a great read.
Talk to Someone: My mom is my go-to person whenever I’m feeling anxious. She’s a calm, level-headed woman that’s always been the perfect complement to my high-strung self. She’s been my sounding board through many times of high anxiety (and stupid small problems). It helps to talk it out with someone who’s outside of your head and can help you find solutions. Often times, speaking the words out loud makes you realize what you’re worried about isn’t that big of a deal.
Journal: When we’re anxious, our thoughts are just whirling around in our heads. We’re often ruminating and making things worse. When you write your feelings out on paper, it helps to see how sometimes ridiculous these worries are. It helps to make connections as to why you may be feeling a certain way. Journaling helps us get to know ourselves on a deeper level.
There are many solutions out there for anxiety, but these are some of my favorites. I created a shortened version of this list at the bottom that you can save off or screen shot if you need a quick reminder.
Were these hacks helpful for you? What is your go-to method when you’re feeling anxious?
With love,
Alissa
