I’d like to talk about anxiety. More than ever I hear from my patients that they are struggling with anxiety in a way that they haven’t had to deal with before. All of the elements of this pandemic, violence, social injustice, the wildfires, extreme weather, and political turmoil are leading people to feel unsettled, anxious, and unsure of what lies ahead. The good news is that there is a lot you can do to support your anxious nerves. I want to outline some of the key interventions that you can think about doing for yourself.
Food
I love using food as medicine. Tea is one of the best dietary interventions we have for anxiety. Green tea, black tea, oolong tea, and white tea all come from the same plant: Camellia sinensis which is loaded with theanine (among many other therapeutic compounds). Theanine is sometimes called “meditation in a bottle.” It helps you stay alert and focused but also relaxed. Caffeine, on the other hand, can actually make anxiety worse. So, if you are feeling anxious, reach for some decaffeinated tea to calm your nerves.
Another strategy is to make sure you’re having a low glycemic diet. Sweets and high carbohydrate meals or snacks send your blood sugar and insulin on a roller coaster that is not good for your mood. Keep your snacks and meals balanced with healthy fats, healthy proteins, and healthy complex carbohydrates. Apples are in season now. A great snack is an apple with nut butter.
Breathwork and Meditation
Breathwork and meditation are fantastic strategies to keep us centered and grounded in times of emotional turmoil. The act of focusing on your breath helps to break the cycle of anxious thoughts. It also serves to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which is the calming side of our nervous system. I love the 4-7-8 breath: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. You will benefit from doing this a few times in a row to really ground yourself.
Meditation is a fantastic practice that expands on breathwork. There are many styles of meditation: mindfulness, heart-centered, loving-kindness, transcendental meditation, and more. The benefits of meditation are extensive and mood and anxiety certainly are on the list. If you’re interested in learning how to meditate check out my website learn about the practice of Cheryl Brause at Pause meditation. We would love to help you on your path.
Movement
Many kinds of movement have been found to help with mood: sustained aerobic activity, high intensity interval (HIT) training, leisurely walking, or yoga. What works best will vary from person to person. Spending time outdoors getting sunshine and just walking in nature is also extremely helpful for our nervous system. I always encourage people to take some of their movement for the week outdoors if at all possible.
Social Connections
Staying connected to others during times of high anxiety is also very helpful. Fight the urge to withdraw and reach out to friends and family for support. Pets can also be a very important source of comfort and stress relief. There has been a big uptick in pet adoption during the pandemic and it is clear to me why. The unconditional love that a dog or a cat can offer is extremely soothing to anxious children, not to mention adults!
Supplements
- LAVENDAR – There are a number of supplements that I love for anxiety. Lavender is at the top of the list. The essential oil is wonderful as a lavender-infused bath, body lotion, or to diffuse into the air. Lavender capsules are also available and work nicely for anxiety.
- THEANINE – I already mentioned tea as a source of theanine. You can also take capsules or chewable gummies to get beneficial effects.
- ASHWAGANDHA – This is an ayurvedic herb that is a real powerhouse. It has many therapeutic properties including helping us combat stress and anxiety. It shows up in many stress-relieving formulae for this reason.
- CBD – Cannabidiol (CBD) is getting a lot of press recently. It can certainly help with anxiety and stress. CBD is expensive and there are lots of poor-quality products on the market, so it’s important to purchase from a very reputable company. One big caveat with CBD is that we’re still learning about how CBD works. There are CBD receptors in almost every organ in our body, including the nervous system, immune system, cardiovascular system, and yes, even the reproductive system. We need more research on how CBD impacts ovulation, embryo implantation, and pregnancy. So for women who are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant, I recommend avoiding CBD altogether. We just don’t have enough information on safety.
So, we have a lot of techniques to support our nervous system and alleviate the feelings of anxiety that many of us are experiencing. I have touched on just a few in this blog, though there are many more. It is also important to mention that if anxiety is seriously impacting your life, you should seek help from a mental health professional.
If you’d like to dive deeper and get more specific advice on how you could benefit from any of these practices or supplements, please call the office at 203-900-4194. I would love to meet you and offer you a free 15-minute consultation.