my “anti-anxiety” starter kit
True Life: I spent $400 on a Hormone Panel to find out my hot flashes, night sweats, and myriad of other issues was not a “hormone” issue but a severe case of anxiety…. yay.
For me, simply taking the Lexipro was not an option. I’ve alleviated symptoms of anxiety with a healthy lifestyle before, so when my anxiety spikes, it’s a sign I see as my body telling me it needs help. Primarily, in the gut. Below are tips, tools, and tactics that I personally use to keep my anxiety at bay:
MY ANTI-ANXIETY STARTER-KIT:
DAILY MOOD PROBIOTIC
This has been a game changer in my life. I’m not even being dramatic. It’s literally made SUCH a difference. The health of our gut microbiome is so important for mental health.
CUT OUT COFFEE
I quit coffee and replaced it with this matcha. Coffee is one of the worst things to have when you’re having anxiety. For me, it felt like I was jumping out of my skin, it made my “hot flashes” worse, and by 2:30/3 o’clock I was mentally, emotionally, and physically DONE. Matcha is great because of this magic ingredient called, “L-Theanine”. L-Theanine promotes a sense of calm by “decreasing” the excitatory chemicals in our brain that can contribute to stress and anxiety. Thank You JESUS for this miracle!
“INNER-CALM” ADAPTOGENIC DE-STRESS POWDER
I put a scoop of this in my protein shake every morning and I can feel a real difference when I don’t. It contains ashwaganda (a powerful adaptogen) with Saffron to deliver a balanced mindset, and another hit of L-Theanine to promote a sense of calm.
HEALTHY 80/20 LIFESTYLE
This is where the magic happens. Your gut health is a direct correlation to your mental health. You are what you eat. If you eat junk, expect to feel like trash. Eat clean, and everything else seems to fall in place.
Listen, I love Taco Bell as much as the next girl but it will give me the biggest food hangover the next day to the point where it’s not even worth it. I’m pretty regimented during the week and try my hardest to stay as least processed as possible, leaning towards all the fresh fruits and veggies, a nourishing protein shake every morning with antioxidants, and clean (but delicious) meals throughout the week. I did an Arbonne “30 Day” program in my early twenties and it changed my life. I still follow the same protocols for the most part which are basically an anti-inflammatory lifestyle/way of eating during the week— omitting dairy, soy, gluten, and alcohol, and let myself slide a little more on the weekends.
DAILY MOVEMENT
To reduce anxiety, daily movement has helped me a lot. Whether that looks like a long walk with Bodhi, a session at Hotworx, Lifting weights (which I’ve been really into lately), or just a 5-10 minute “do what you can, with the time ya got” workout in my bathroom before I jump in the shower. SOMETHING is better than nothing.
MEDITATE
I recently heard a podcast where a woman was talking about how meditation cured her acne and I thought she was nuts (because right after she said she also does Clear and Brilliant, a laser, which is basically known for clearing acne… but that’s another story). Well, now I think she was on to something (whether she also uses a laser or not) after watching a module on Stress and Meditation at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I’ve been meditating on and off for 6 years now. Still not the biggest fan but it does calm me down and I feel so much better after I’ve actually sat down and committed. This really needs it’s own post.
JOURNAL
Journaling my thoughts, feelings, and emotions has been something I’ve practiced since I was about 6 years old. I know the exact age, because I recently visited home and found ALL my journals growing up. The first one being a baby pink locked “diary” that I took with me on my first trip to Disney World when I was 6 years old. I talked about how I met this boy and how cute he was, blah blah blah. Getting to the point, this has always been a way for me to get out of my own head and understand how I feel. It’s a personal therapist. This book by Julia Cameron is also pretty good too. I’ve gifted it multiple times and is a great way to do a “meantal dump” for lack of a better word. You basically wake up and write three pages about everything that’s on your mind, non-judgementally.
LIMIT ALCOHOL
TBH, I think more people are alcoholics than realize. And just because it’s legal doesn’t make it okay to abuse. Just like everything, balance. But even alcohol isn’t okay in moderation. It’s AWFUL for your body and can lead to a multitude of things, but staying on the course of anxiety, it’s what I like to call, “anxiety rebound”. Anxiety Rebound is when you put a bandaid on your anxiety to feel a sense of escape, but the next day anxiety rebounds and is worse.. So then you need more alcohol. And again, and again, and again. I do love a good glass of a dry red, but in moderation.
LIMIT SOCIAL MEDIA
So many people, so many things going on. Even if you’re a confident woman, you will start to compare if all your doing is watching what everyone else is doing all day. Limiting social media helps me maintain staying in my own lane, on my own journey.
STARTED READING FICTION (TO GET OUT OF MY HEAD)
All of my twenties, I’ve been obsessed with self-help and personal development. Now, I’ve realized they are all basically a spin-off of Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. Plus, depending on the personality type of the book (ehm, Grant Cardone’s, “10X Rule”), it made me even more anxious. Reading fiction is a nice escape without sitting in front a blue light-screen and also helps strengthen my vocabulary. I’m here for it.
MASTURBATE / SEX
Still feeling anxious?? This one is kind’ve self-explanatory but it’s a 2-for-1, workout and stress reliever (we love efficiency).