Stress and anxiety relief for modern times
Ready for this? Take the biggest breath of your day. Sigh it all out.
Woah. Hurricane and fire season is in full effect, women’s rights are being stripped away, the pandemic seems out of control, the news in Afghanistan is devastating, plus whatever life things are happening, back to school, etc. A lot’s going on, and it will be a revolving door of things for our lifetime.
All I wanna do here is promote stress and anxiety relief techniques through discovering long lost personal joys, eating well-balanced meals, and other effortless techniques. Any little thing that can offer a sense of comfort from this oppressive dystopian society we call modern time. (Apologies, that will be the peak of any sense of being a downer, on with the good stuff!)
Please note: We all have different schedules that allow unique wellness techniques. Let’s plan our free consultation to discuss your own personal stress management and nutrition plan.
Let’s begin with a topic I return back to time and again, Nutritional Psychology or Psycho-Nutrition. Though using food to treat mental disorders is not a known cure, or is not a common addition to therapy (yet), there is increasing evidence showing that a balanced diet with brain boosting foods can help manage anxiety.
It’s also important to note the heavy influence our gut health has on our mental health à la the gut-brain axis. Which means, healing your gut microbiome can benefit your mental health. This includes a nutrient-dense diet of probiotics + prebiotics, anti-inflammatory foods, fiber, healthy fat, and protein. Our gut is endearingly called our second brain for a powerful reason.
Caveat: None of these provide a quick fix. It’s all about getting a plethora of nutrients daily to contribute to your mental health over time. Plus, food is meant to be an addition to your complete holistic healing plan. If you have a history with deep anxiety and mental disorders, definitely speaking to a therapist is still the first option.
An outline of food goodness for your gut, brain, mood, and feelings:
Probiotics & prebiotics: Unsweetened full fat yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, other fermented foods, asparagus.
Healthy fat (omega-3 fatty acids/DHA): Salmon, walnuts, and chia seeds.
Antioxidants: Dark chocolate, green tea, berries, tomatoes, turmeric, and beans.
Fiber (to stabilize blood sugar): Fruit and oats.
Vitamin D: All the mushrooms.
Magnesium: Leafy greens, legumes, and whole grains.
Zinc: Cashews, egg yolks, and oysters.
Please avoid: fried food, alcohol, sugar, processed food, and limit caffeine if you are sensitive to it.
Add a mix of these to your future grocery lists to incorporate into home cooked meals. Need some ideas for meal planning and cooking nutrient dense meals? Book our free consultation to discuss your individualized needs.
If you’re interested in further reading on Nutritional Psychology or Psycho-Nutrition check out these two notable sources: Chef Uma Naidoo, MD and Dr. Drew Ramsey. They have a multitude of resources and show up on podcasts frequently.
More anti-anxiety and stress relieving actionables:
1. Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale…
Box Breathing has been my go-to sense of calm lately. I practiced this breath while I was taking an epsom salt bath feeling anxious the other night. I didn’t really notice how refreshing it was until I got out of the bath and was so relaxed I couldn’t move. P.S. Do this outside if you can to inhale Mother Nature’s healing love.
Method:
Find a comfortable position seated or laying down.
Place your hands on your knees, on your belly, or one hand on your belly and one hand over your heart.
Take a few regular cycles of breath.
When you’re ready to being your box breathing cycle:
Inhale for a count of 4.
Hold for a count of 4.
Exhale for a count of 4.
Hold for a count of 4.
Repeat for 4 cycles or for as long as you’d like.
Visit my blog post with four other calming and/or rejuvenating breathing techniques.
2. Good ol’ fashioned pen and paper.
It’s not just about journaling for gratitude… Through recent self-exploration techniques, I have begun to appreciate learning from things I wouldn’t normally be grateful for. Thus, if you do keep a gratitude journal, or find that gratitude journals are cliché, try a different approach in journaling about the not-so-good things that happened during your day. What can be taken moving forward from any unfortunate encounter or moment you had? Explore this in having an honest conversation with yourself about how and why it triggered you. Keep asking yourself “why?” in order to move deeply inward.
Other journal prompts to stumble upon lost joy…
List your five favorite activities and the date of when you did them last.
Walking through your five senses, list things that make you feel true happiness. I’m happy when I smell ____. I’m happy when I see ____. I’m happy when I touch ____. I’m happy when I hear ____. I’m happy when I taste ____.
Taking from prompts 1 and 2, make a list of 5 small habits you can incorporate into your life to bring in more joy.
List your three favorite people and what qualities they have that make you love them.
Now do this for yourself.
Why journal? Check out this article.
3. Prioritize sleep during high-intensity times.
If you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, revisit your sleep hygiene. Think about approaching a bedtime routine as you were a child. And, what are you doing to prepare for bed? Not just in the hour before you sleep, but throughout your whole day.
4. Herbal tea!
A beautiful blend of herbs in a simple tea. Rachelle Robinett has been my favorite herbalist to learn from lately. She makes the wide world of herbs approachable and gives actionable recipes to improve your well being.
5. Sense of control.
Gain control over a little something in your life. A space or room in your house, a situation, a routine, a conversation. What can you have influence over and feel confident in controlling? Or what can be yours and only yours to enjoy?
Ah… we got this.
Take another huge breath in… hold… and sigh it all out.
P.S. Image of Elaine with iPhone courtesy of @seinfeld2000 Instagram.
