Anxiety is on the rise. With all of the fear and uncertainty in our world today, it’s not surprising. As as result, many people are looking for tools and strategies to find relief. In fact, it’s a topic I’m asked about every week. Therefore, I thought it’d be helpful to offer a comprehensive resource guide to support you in alleviating any anxiety you too may be experiencing.
However, if you struggle with a long-term anxiety or panic disorder, I encourage you to get professional support. Start with your doctor and/or a psychotherapist who specializes in anxiety. The strategies included in this guide will help to ease symptoms. However, you may need additional interventions for long-term relief.
Further, in full disclosure, I am not a doctor, psychiatrist, or psychologist. With that said, please check with your primary care physician before taking any recommended supplements.
Common Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety is a fear about the future – what could happen or what’s to come. It’s a response to stress, in which the nervous system gets hijacked into fight, flight or freeze. Unfortunately, when this happens, your rational brain goes off-line, and you stop thinking clearly. Therefore, it’s good to avoid major life decisions when you’re feeling anxious.
Although anxiety can be debilitating at times, at other times, it may be less recognizable. You may just feel agitated, overwhelmed or maxed out. So, to first help you identify anxiety, here are some of the most common symptoms to look out for:
- Insomnia or sleep issues
- Restless or excess energy
- Panic attacks
- Chronic headaches, muscle or joint pain
- Heart palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Excessive sweating
- Excessive worry
- Agitation, irritability, or feeling short-tempered
- Physically shaking or trembling
- Racing thoughts or negative rumination
- Irrational fears or phobias hijacking your mind and emotions
- Changes in appetite – overeating or the inability to eat
- Stomach pain, diarrhea or constipation
- Depression
- Debilitating fatigue
- Social withdrawal
- Collapsed or low energy, lack of drive or motivation
- Apathy
Anxiety Relief Resources
Below I have provided the tools and strategies I personally use when I need anxiety relief. These are well researched and practiced in my own life, and with my clients.
I have separated the resources into three categories: Daily Support, Symptomatic Relief, and Getting the the Root Cause. Some strategies will be listed under both daily support and symptomatic relief. This indicates that you can use the strategies daily AND whenever symptoms arise.
I have included a LOT of resources to support you. However, please don’t think you need to do them all. Rather, I invite you to experiment. Try out some of the different strategies to determine which work best for you. I typically combine many of them for holistic support, and most are super easy.
Daily Support to Prevent Anxiety
Body
Maintain a structured daily routine – Go to bed, and get up, at the same time each day. In addition, eat your meals at regular times. A consistent routine is calming, because routine provides a sense of certainty.
Avoid caffeine and other stimulants – This includes coffee, tea, soda, and yes, even chocolate.
Abstain or minimize alcohol use. Although that glass of wine feels calming in the moment, studies show it actually fuels anxiety long-term!
Eat warm cooked grounding foods like roasted root vegetable, soups, and stews. In addition, avoid too many raw foods and/or juices. From an Ayurvedic perspective, raw foods fuel Vata or air energy, which increases anxiety and worry.
Exercise – I recommend activities that are calming, like walking, hiking, yoga, tai chi, or qigong. Yoga is particularly good for anxiety, and it’s easy to do at home. There are literally hundreds on online classes. I personally take classes through beachbodyondemand.com . However, here is a great resource of online yoga classes based on personal needs: The 7 Best Online Yoga Classes for 2020.
Diaphragmatic Breathing – (See instructions under Symptomatic Relief). I practice diaphragmatic breathing throughout the day. Aim for 3 times a day, 5 minutes per session. You can do this while you watch TV or lay in bed, so no excuses.
Mind
Minimize news and anxiety provoking media – This includes violent or action movies, TV, books, and video games. Reading the news often works best, as you have more control over the content you consume. However, set time limits around it. I limit myself to 20 minutes/day.
Meditation – This is by far the BEST practice for reducing anxiety, especially over the long-term. I often recommend guided meditations for beginners, as they are much easier for most people. Here are two of my favorites:
- Relieve Anxiety by Brainsync – (great for calming the mind)
- Blessing the Energy Centers by Dr. Joe Dispenza – (my favorite for balancing my energy)
Energy
Set Healthy Boundaries (physical, mental, emotional and relational) – Know your limits and say no to situations or people that increase your anxiety. You don’t have to DO it all or BE the all to everyone! If this is hard for you, please take a few minutes to read this post on How to Say No! Stop over-giving and people-pleasing.
Ground your energy in nature – Even a short 30 minute walk outside can do wonders to calm the mind and elevate your mood. For maximum benefit, walk in a wooded area or barefoot on the beach.
Supplements:
- Brahmi/Gotu Kola – This Ayurvedic herb from India helps to calm the mind. Yogis have traditionally used it to support meditation. It is also adaptogenic, which means it helps your body adapt to stress. It works great for most people, and it’s one I take every day. I buy mine here: https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/gotu-kola-liquid-extract-10/
- GABA – This is an amino acid that acts an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and nervous system. GABA calms the mind and body, alleviates pain, supports mood, and relieves stress. It’s made in the brain, and can also be taken in supplemental form. However, be sure to check with your doctor first to make sure it won’t interact with other medications. You can read more about the benefits of GABA here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-newzzz/201901/3-amazing-benefits-gaba
- L-Theanine – This amino acid comes from green tea and it increases the synthesis of GABA. In addition, it supports alpha brain wave activity, which is related to states of deep relaxation. Yet, it produces a calming effective without making you drowsy. Read more on L-theanine here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/integrative-mental-health-care/201703/l-theanine-reduces-symptoms-anxiety
- Passionflower – Studies have also shown passionflower to be effective in treating anxiety and insomnia. However, it may cause some drowsiness. As a result, this one is best before bed. You can get passionflower in teas, or in tincture or capsule formulas. To read more on the benefits of passionflower click here: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323795#anxiety.
- CBD – If CBD is legal in your state, I highly recommend it for anxiety. Studies have shown it to be effective in alleviating anxiety, insomnia, pain, and even PTSD symptoms. However, there are a lot of CBD products on the market that DO NOT have the potency or purity needed for effective relief. With that said, please do your research. My personal favorite is My Soul CBD. It’s organic and THC-free, so it doesn’t have any psychoactive ingredients.
Symptomatic Relief (when anxiety arises)
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Your breath becomes shallow when you get anxious. And unfortunately, shallow breathing engages the muscles in your neck, shoulders and upper ribs. This leads to chronic muscle tension, and even pain. In contrast, when you use your diaphragm to breathe, your neck and shoulders relax. In addition, it shifts your nervous system back into a state of relaxation.
To get started, get familiar with your diaphragm. It’s a muscle that sits above your stomach and just under your rib cage. You can see a picture of it here: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19072.htm).
- Consciously engage your diaphragm on the inhalation by pulling it downwards towards into belly. This will naturally expand your middle and lower rib cage in all directions – anteriorly, posteriorly, and laterally. However, don’t be surprised if your diaphragm feels a little tight at first, especially if you’re not used to breathing this way. Just keep at it, and it will begin to open and relax.
- On the exhalation, draw diaphragm back up into it’s resting position.
- Your neck and shoulders should stay relaxed, throughout the breath.
- Try closing your eyes to focus your attention.
- Continue for 5 minutes or until you feel relaxed.
Supplements for Symptom Relief
CBD – 1 dropper as symptoms arise. If taking in tincture form, hold it under your tongue for at least 30 seconds for fast relief. www.mysoulcbd.com
Passionflower or Brahmi – I prefer tincture formulas as they provide the fastest relief. Try 1 dropper mixed in water, or as directed on the bottle.
Ground and Root Exercise
This exercise is great to do with bare feet on the Earth, however, it’s not a requirement.
- To begin, stand in a comfortable and relaxed position with your knees slightly bent.
- Next, gently lift up your heels, while keeping the balls of your feet and your toes on the ground. Last, tap your heels into the ground over and over, continuously for 30-60 seconds. This grounds your energy by drawing it down into your feet and into the Earth.
Self-Soothing Exercise
The self-soothing exercise builds on the Heart Breath technique taught by HeartMath. However, I’ve added several elements to integrate self-compassion and self-love for maximum benefit.
- Find a comfortable and relaxed position, and place both hands over your heart center (sternum), one hand laying over the other
- Bring your attention and awareness into your heart center. Notice the weight and warmth of your hands on your heart.
- Next, focus on your breath. Feel your breath fill up your heart center, while expanding your rib cage in all directions. Imagine the breath opening and expanding your heart center. Breathe easily, yet fully and deeply.
- Now think about someone or something you love deeply, perhaps it’s your kids, spouse, family member or a pet. Tune into the energy of love, and stay there for a few minutes.
- Last, repeat a self-soothing affirmation, such as “I’m OK, I am safe, I am enough.” One of my personal favorites is, “I’m healing, learning and growing every day. I am loved and I am enough!”
Practice Mindfulness
To practice mindfulness, bring your attention to the present moment and your 5 physical senses:
- Notice how the chair feel beneath your body or the ground beneath your feet.
- The weight and feeling of your cloths feel on your skin.
- Sense the temperature of the room, how does it feel?
- Look around your environment, take note of everything you see.
- Take a deep inhalation through your nose, what scents fill the air?
- Listen intently to your surroundings, what do you hear?
- Sense into your mouth, what do you taste?
Take Action
Take at least one action that gives you a sense of control and/or helps you create a sense of certainty.
- For example, what is ONE thing you can do to create certainty for yourself in the moment?
- Further, what is ONE empowered positive action you can take?
For example, if you feel anxious about money because your business is closed down temporarily or you’ve lost your job, call your creditors to set up a hardship arrangement. In addition, focus on trimming your budget to minimize expenses as much as possible.
Focus on what you have the power to do. Sometimes anxiety emerges because we feel powerless.
Getting to the Root Cause
Anxiety can be a complex issue that requires professional help. There may be physical imbalances, in addition to psychological and emotional ones. That’s why it’s important to get support if you’ve struggled with long-term, moderate to severe anxiety. A trusted professional can help you get to the root cause and determine the best course of treatment.
However, if you experience mild to moderate anxiety, you may be able to uncover the root cause with a little self-reflection and deep inquiry. And, as with most things, treating the root cause can facilitate prevention. As a result, this exercise is worthy of your time if you want to prevent or reduce anxiety in the future.
Self-Reflection Exercise
The questions below are intended for self-reflection. Therefore, I invite you to get out a journal and spend some time exploring them.
- When you feel anxious, what do you need most to feel ok? For example, do you need to feel loved, supported, important, or valued? Or, do you need certainty or control? Once you uncover your primary need, explore how you can meet that need for yourself.
- What is the primary fear under your anxiety? Once you uncover your fear, it’s important to question it. Your mind often thinks in worst case scenarios, not in facts! Instead, focus on the facts, not on assumptions or projections.
- What belief is under that fear? For example, do you believe life is dangerous, or that others will hurt you? Do you belief you’re not enough?
Often anxiety is fueled by the following fears and patterns. Reflect on which of these most apply to you.
- Fear of abandonment or rejection
- Worries about safety and survival
- Fear of judgment or criticism
- The Not Good Enough Story – The fear or belief that you are not enough drives unhealthy coping strategies, such as the perfectionist and the people-pleaser.
- The Compare and Despair Game – When you compare yourself to others, you fuel the not enough story. And social media doesn’t help. How much do you compare your life to the illusion of someone else’s reality, and then feel badly about yourself?
- Buildup of unprocessed emotions – Repressed emotional energy creates a pressure cooker of anxiety until those emotions are processed and released. For help with this read : How to Heal Emotional Pain.
- Unhealed Trauma – There are many powerful strategies for working with trauma. Two of the BEST I have found are Energy Psychology and EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing).
I hope you find these resources helpful. Please experiment with them over time to determine which ones work best for you. And…if you have any questions at all, please reach out or APPLY for a Complimentary Breakthrough Session. I’d love to support you!