Hey friend! Quick note… If you missed Tips for Anxiety Part 1, be sure to read the first 6 tips here!
I recently wrote about tips for anxiety and realized that there are even more that I should share with you. I know what it’s like to deal with anxiety and my clients do too. It’s something we work on regularly in sessions both for therapy and coaching. Ready for more, love? Let’s do this.
Tip #7: Journal
Put all your anxious thoughts on paper! Studies show that writing down worries can actually make it better. So first acknowledge them instead of trying to ignore them. Do a “brain dump” for 5-10 minutes (set a timer!) and just scribble out everything that comes to mind. Or write down your to-do’s before bedtime (set a timer, again!). Other ways to journal that might help include keeping a gratitude journal (write down what you are grateful for, what went well each day, whatever comes up!), or jot down encouraging, empowering notes to yourself, or quotes or pictures that inspire you.
Tip #8: Nature
This is a must-do for me, and I definitely start to feel it if I’ve been spending too much time inside. Getting out into nature when possible can do wonders for anxiety (and depression!). One of the reasons being that just changing your environment itself is so helpful. Another is that it is really in our blood to be outside! Our ancestors were connected with nature in a way that most of us will never know, but the need for this connection is still within each of us, even the most hardcore city-dwellers! Nature can help slow us down, at least temporarily, especially from a fast and furious schedule. It’s also the perfect opportunity to practice some mindfulness skills!
Tip #9: Tapping
Some people swear by this one! I’ve had success myself and with clients using tapping to work on many kinds of issues, not the least of which has been anxiety and worry. Tapping (also called EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique) is a way of utilizing acupressure points to create a sense of calm, resolve, acceptance, or inner-strength (any or all, depending on what you need!). By tapping, you can balance your nervous system and send signals to your brain’s stress centers that “all is OK.” You can go down a rabbit hole watching tapping tutorials on YouTube.
Tip #10: Meditation and Breathing
I would be so remiss if I neglected this one, because it’s everything! When we’re stressed and anxious, our sympathetic nervous system is going full-force. Meditation and breathing engages our parasympathetic nervous system (“rest and digest”), which is usually under-utilized in today’s busy world. Even 5 minutes a day of meditation and/or breathing exercise can be so powerful in diminishing anxiety! Seriously, it doesn’t have to take long if you don’t want it to, and these days, there are more apps to help than I could even share with you. If you’re new to meditation, it’s super helpful to have a teacher or some guidance. Some of my favorite apps are Insight Timer, Headspace, and Calm. Or, find a local meditation center or a yoga studio that offers mediation classes. I also share a few helpful breathing examples in this blog.
Tip #11: Essential Oils
This is a favorite of mine, and my clients, because these smell so dang good and really do help! You’ve all probably heard of using lavender before bed to enhance feelings of calm (and ideally, sleepiness), and for good reason! It’s thought that lavender helps calm our brain’s stress response as well as encourages the parasympathetic nervous system, relaxing our muscles and can even lower blood pressure. So, it really is a great scent for bedtime or when you want to chill out before or during a stressful event.
Other oils for anxiety include clary sage, chamomile, vetiver, ylang ylang, and citrus scents. You can use these as aromatherapy (by smelling), buy many as teas or tinctures, or even use topically or ingest them (but be sure your oils are approved for these purposes! Quality really does matter!). Essential oils also activate our sense of smell, being a great way to use our senses to check in with the present moment (see the link in Tip #8 above!)
Tip #12: Herbal and Nutrient Supplements
First off, I am not a doctor and not prescribing these to you if you have anxiety! So before you try these, especially if you have health conditions or are on any meditation, please check with you doctor!
There are many great options for herbal and nutrient therapies to help with anxiety. Some of my favorites (but by no means an exhaustive list):
- L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea and can be helpful for physical symptoms of anxiety. Amino acids, along with crucial vitamins and minerals, make up our neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers in our body that affect countless functions in our body, not the least of which are things like mood and sleep. (This is one of the reasons why a good diet, first and foremost, is so incredibly important for mental health!)
- Lemon balm, kava root, passionflower, chamomile – herbal remedies that can be used as a tea or tincture to calm our mental chatter and anxiety. Some of these may work as well as prescription medications, but without the side effects.
- B Vitamins are especially depleted by stress, and can be low if you enjoy a plant-based diet. Get your levels checked and consider a B-complex after checking with your doctor.
- Magnesium – we are almost all deficient in this important mineral! Helpful for stress and anxiety, muscle tension and aches, sleep, PMS, just to name a few.
- Adaptogens
- Reishi mushrooms can be calming and relaxing for general anxiety and sleep anxiety. Take as capsules or drink as tea (I love the products put out by Four Sigmatic).
- Ashwagandha can improve cortisol levels, strengthen our stress tolerance, and help with sleep. Take as powder, capsules, or tincture.
- This is a great place to start if you want to learn more about adaptogens; it’s a really fascinating area of herbal medicine (and I love this doctor!)