Anxiety is not an easy thing to get rid of, nor is it an easy thing to deal with. I know what it’s like to feel like your life is ruled by an endless cycle of anxiety and depression, but I also know what it’s like to come out of this vicious cycle. Getting rid of your anxiety the natural way takes some time, but the end result is so worth it.
Here are my top tips to relieve anxiety the natural way:
- Clean out your diet- unhealthy, processed, and inflammatory foods are a huge trigger of anxiety. I know that when you have anxiety, it can be even more tempting to eat unhealthy foods, but trust me; you will never get out of this cycle if you keep feeding your body with junk! Instead, feed your body with brain fuel- fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, a ton of healthy fats, and organic meats & dairy products
- Lower your intake of caffeine and alcohol- it can be super tempting to turn to these substances in times of anxiety or depression, but they can actually make matters a lot worse! Alcohol works to raise the levels of serotonin in our brain, but once it’s out of our system, there will be a lot less serotonin in your brain, making you feel even worse than before. As well, both alcohol and caffeine affect the nervous system, which can lead you to feeling even more anxious than you already are. Both can become addictive, which is never a good thing for anxiety either.
- Take walks in nature- Strenuous exercise isn’t the best idea for someone with a lot of anxiety. Gentle and calming exercise, on the other hand, is. A walk in nature helps ease the mind, calm the nervous system, and helps you be more in tune with yourself.
- Take supplements- there are a ton of natural supplements that can help help ease anxiety. Magnesium and fish oil pills are my absolute favorites; magnesium works really well in calming the nervous system and fish oil pills work really well in boosting brain function and treating depression and anxiety. These are two supplements that I simply can’t live without- I take them every day and feel so much better now that I do!
- Get off of hormonal birth control pills– read more about this here
- Practice yoga and meditation- These are both the probably most beneficial ways to reduce anxiety. Once you tune into your mind on a regular basis and train it to be still as well as work on your breathing patterns, you will watch your anxiety slowly begin to fade away.
- Stop doing things you hate and start doing things you love- I think this one is a pretty obvious one. We all have to do some things we dislike in order to get to where we want to be in life, but this should never take up a huge part of our life. Doing a ton of things you hate will always lead you to feeling extremely anxious, and doing a ton of things you love will always lead you to feeling the exact opposite.
- Stop hanging around negative people- if you hang out with negative people and hang out in negative environments, that energy will simply transfer back to you! Make sure your environment is only positive and you will notice how much your mood will change.
- Focus every day on changing your negative thoughts to positive- your mind is something that can be changed, but it can’t change without putting in any work. You have to take the time every day to train your mind to think the thoughts you want it to, until one day it finally sticks and good thoughts will become the norm!
- Get 8 hours of sleep a night- getting too little sleep leads to anxiety, so make sure you get enough sleep!
- Less T.V. and social media, more books and time spent with loved ones- watching too much T.V. and spending too much time on social media leads to anxiety while reading more informational books and spending time with loved ones lessens anxiety.
- Pray- this is a huge one for me. Knowing that God always has my back no matter what makes me feel more at peace, no matter what I’m going through.
- Talk to someone about it- whether it be a therapist or friend- I recommend therapy to anyone and everyone, since I truly believe it can help a ton, but if you’re not up for it, then at least consider talking to a friend or someone that you feel comfortable talking to. It’s a lot easier to heal and get past whatever you’re going through if you deal with it head on and let it out into the open.
- Spend time with yourself- this is by far the most important part to letting go of your anxiety and finally healing. Anxiety stems from being out of tune with your body and with yourself; if you don’t know yourself, and you don’t know where your anxiety comes from and why, then you will never be able to heal it. Most of us try to run away from ourselves, which is what causes anxiety in the first place. You HAVE to be willing to face yourself, learn about yourself, know your body completely, and love yourself fully in order to heal yourself.
I hope this helps and I’m always here to answer any of your questions or just as someone to talk to- you are never alone!
xx
Rachel