10 Ways to Fight Anxiety -Healing by Design
People have struggled with anxiety since the beginning of time. Everyone is going to experience stressful situations in life. Death of a family member, trauma, losing a job, and suffering from an injury are all things that we often can't control and cause us to be stressed and anxious. But we are also living in a time when stress and anxiety have become an epidemic in our culture and it's no surprise. With our over-consumption of social media, junk food, always being busy, and our lack of spiritual connection with God and people, it's almost like we're inviting stress and anxiety into our lives.
Here's a list of a few physical causes of anxiety:
Hormone imbalance
Adrenal fatigue
A side effect of medications
Lack of oxygen (in the circumstances as diverse as high-altitude sickness, emphysema, or pulmonary embolism - a blood clot in the vessels of the lung)
Regardless of how stress and anxiety begin, there are several things we recommend to help reduce and manage anxiety and hopefully eliminate it. Below are the top ten steps we have found to be effective in decreasing anxiety and stress naturally.
1. CONNECT WITH GOD & PEOPLE. Often people experience anxiety because of something that is going on emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. When someone is going through hard times, it's so important that they stay connected with God, friends, and family. Finding a good counselor or therapist to work through your feelings and concerns is hugely beneficial. Technology is excellent, but if overused, we can begin to lose the human-to-human connection that we all need. Take time each day to step away from your phones, computers, and social media platforms, and instead spend time with God, close friends, and family.
2. REST & SLEEP. In case you didn't know, it's okay to slow down and rest--God designed rest for us. When you're stressed or anxious, you need more sleep but often the opposite happens. Many times we find more things to keep us busy, which ultimately keeps the anxiety and stress wheel spinning. We're sure you're familiar with the old saying, "Early to bed, early to rise.", right? Well, that's just what we're suggesting. In general, you should try to be in bed between 9 pm or 10 pm at the latest. Make sure to turn off any electronics that will distract you. Try playing calming music or read for a while before turning in for the night. Remember, we all need time to recover. If you find yourself having a million thoughts in your head before going to bed, write them down on a piece a paper, put it on your nightstand or table, and focus on it in the morning. Here are some additional resources on how to obtain proper sleep and rest.
Additional resources:
3. SUNSHINE & MOVEMENT. Connect to God through nature. Get your bare feet on the earth, go camping, and just enjoy the beauty that the outdoors has to offer. It is almost impossible to be stressed sitting on the beach or in the woods. Exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the brain's release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused. Additionally, outdoor physical activities are also a great stress reliever. When you feel stressed, we recommend doing calming low-intensity exercises like walking, stretching, yoga, and Pilates. Skip high-intensity workouts until after you've overcome a stressful situation.
Stress-relieving products for your home:
Grounding Bed Sheet or Pad by True Rife - This will help you connect to the ground in your home. Studies have shown that people who use a grounding pad showed a reduction in cortisol levels (a hormone associated with stress) *Top recommendation
Air Purifier - Studies show that those who breathe cleaner air have lower cortisol levels. Lower cortisol levels are linked to lower stress levels, which happens to correlate with higher productivity levels *Top recommendation
Humidifier with Hydrogen Peroxide by Essential Oxygen - Helps to ease chronic or acute breathing difficulties and allows the body to receive extra oxygen
House Plants - House plants have been known for increasing air quality, boosting mood, and helping to reduce stress
4. MINERALS. All electrolyte minerals are essential for alleviating stress and anxiety. Every part of our body works on minerals. When we are stressed out, we burn magnesium. When we are low in magnesium, we have a hard time managing anxiety and stress. This cycle continues unless we work to replenish minerals in the body, and that's why we've seen such drastic results in our clients' health by them supplementing with minerals daily.
Top mineral recommendations:
Magnesium Oil by Health & Wisdom - Magnesium baths and foot soaks are life-changing for many with anxiety. All magnesium is not created equal. Magnesium chloride works better than Epsom salts because it restores and replenishes magnesium in the body at the cellular level *Top recommendation
Isotonic 0.9 Minerals Pure Marine Plasma by BIOCEAN - These are the best, most pure, and closest mineral composition to human blood *Top recommendation
CALM by Body Health - Try drinking a glass before bed
Sea Salt, Himalayan Salt, or Celtic Sea Salt - Add one teaspoon per gallon of water or a pinch of salt per 8 ounces glass and drink throughout the day. Additionally, try the SOLE method by using Himalayan Salt Stones by Symphony Natural Health
Endure or Electrolyte Stamina Packets by Trace Minerals Research - Great to drink after a workout
5. HERBS. Adaptogenic tonic herbs are amazing for longterm stability and result in balancing hormones and healing the adrenals. The following herbs help to relax the nervous system and balance hormones.
Holy Basil Tincture by Cedar Bear *Top recommendation
Adaptogen Power Powder by Spirit of Health *Top recommendation
6. VITAMIN C. Vitamin C is critical for adrenal function. Vitamin C can lower physiological responses to stressful events. During stress, vitamin C disappears from the bloodstream at an incredibly rapid pace. This means that whether someone is exercising in aerobics class (good stress) or dealing with a hefty life situation (bad stress), your adrenals need additional vitamin C.
Our favorite vitamin C supplement:
Beyond Vitamin C Powder by Spirit of Health *Top recommendation
7. SUPPLEMENT FORMULAS. If you find yourself feeling easily worried, fearful, overwhelmed, and struggling to deal with basic life situations, certain supplements can help ease your anxiety. Below are a few natural supplement suggestions to reduce the symptoms of anxiety.
Top natural supplement formulas for stress and anxiety:
8. DIET. If you find yourself feeling sluggish, drained, and restless, today is a great day to change your diet. Food can trigger anxiety or make a stressful or anxious situation worse. On the other hand, healthy eating can help replenish vitamins and minerals, which can help you have better sleep, give you more energy, and help the body manage stress and anxiety substantially better.
Top foods to avoid:
Alcohol
Caffeine
Sugar
Aspartame
Top foods to eat:
Fruits
Vegetables
Greens
Herbs
If you need assistance cleaning up your diet, try our free Eating by Design Program.
9. AVOID ANTI-DEPRESSANTS & SEDATIVE DRUGS: Anti-depressants and sedative drugs don't actually solve the physical problems or personal situations that cause anxiety. In fact, they tend to cause further side effects on the body, many times making the situation worse. If you're currently on pharmaceutical medications, speak to your doctor about ways that you can try to reduce your dosage. Hopefully, as you implement some of these natural practices, you may be able to work with your doctor to get off of prescription drugs altogether.
10. HORMONES & ADRENALS. Poor adrenal function is closely related to feeling stressed or anxious. If you're experiencing anxiety, you most likely have adrenal fatigue; this is because high amounts of stress cause your adrenals to be overworked. Anxiety leads to poor adrenal function and more stress.
View some of our resources on how hormones and adrenals are connected to stress and anxiety:
Spirit of Health Hormone Balancing Program - Take advantage of our free program online and learn how you can start to bring your hormones and endocrine system into balance