Natural Ways to Fight Anxiety

The laundry is piled a mile high, your car is in the shop and the bill seems astronomical, your kids won’t quit drawing on the walls, your “to-do” list is just to long to actually tackle. Any of those things sound familiar? There can be a million things you need to get done but all you want to do is curl up in the fetal position and hide from the world.

When you live life with anxiety, it’s really hard to move forward and overcome the stress of every day life. I’ve personally dealt with anxiety for years and I can say that I finally feel like I’ve gotten a handle on the situation. When I first started feeling anxiety creep into my life, I was in college and my first reaction was to make an appointment with a medical doctor. That doctor quickly put me on an anti depressant and anxiety medication which really didn’t do anything to fix what I was dealing with but instead masked it and made life harder to deal with. When I went back in, I shared my feelings and that led to being handed another prescription for another medication to “help.” Does that seem normal to ya’ll?

It didn’t sit well with me and I decided that I was going to change my life by myself. I quit taking all those medications cold turkey (which I do not recommend doing, it caused me a lot of side effects but I honestly didn’t know better), if you’re going to stop your medications you need to wean yourself off. But I couldn’t just stop there, the anxiety was still present. What do I do? I decided to start exercising and eating healthy. And that’s where my health journey started.

Not allowing our lives to be controlled by medications that mask the problem and actually focusing on fixing the issue from where it stems could be the most important bit of knowledge I share with ya’ll. I don’t just want to exist in this world, I want to thrive here and I want to LIVE. I am sure that I’m not the only one so I am hoping that this post really does help you as it has done for me. Adding in a few extra steps into your daily life and when anxiety sweeps in can really make all the difference.

1. Exercise – I am sure that this is the last thing you want to hear but I PROMISE it’s here for you to hear for reason! When you exercise (specifically cardio) your body releases endorphins – anyone watch Legally Blonde and get the reference I can make? 🙂 Taking the time to even go for a power walk that takes 15 minutes can make all the difference in having high levels of anxiety. When you start feeling anxious, go for that walk, head to the gym or go play a sport you love. Even on my hardest days, the time I take to exercise can literally change everything.
2. Make smaller “to-do” lists – I was very much so guilty of making a “to-do” list with 50 things to tackle IN ONE DAY (I mean, who was I kidding there) and letting it build up inside of me that I couldn’t get through the entire thing. When I stopped trying to do it all and focus on four realistic things that I can accomplish, my anxiety levels went down. Pace yourself and give yourself realistic tasks that you can get done with the time you have. Finding the balance in your daily life will help cut your anxiety and make you feel more at peace.
3. Meditate/pray – This is a big one. Take the time to really calm your mind and push out all those anxious thoughts and feelings you have. I try and go to a quiet room or space and close my eyes for at least 10 minutes. Focusing on my breath and really speaking what is bothering me and asking God to help me overcome these feelings.
4. Supplements – There are a few that I really do recommend for anxiety and that have helped me personally. Magnesium is the most important supplement you could start taking in your daily life. Most people see magnesium as the natural chill pill. Scientists have confirmed that low levels of magnesium in the body can lead to high levels of stress and anxiety. I personally take this form which I dissolve in water. You cannot take too much magnesium… if you take more than your body needs you will just pee it out so don’t worry about “over doing” it. I also love using essential oils and I would urge you to look into oils like lavender, frankincense, vetiver and bergamot. Those are my go to when I feel anxiety creeping in. You can diffuse or you can inhale. The other thing that I would say has been really helpful is CBD oil. You can read all about how and why I use it by clicking here.
5. Talk to someone – When you harbor all your thoughts and feelings inside, it really does take a toll on you. Finding someone that you can trust and will allow you to confide in is really important. If you have access to a therapist, GO! I love therapy and I wish I could go daily and get all of LIFE off of my chest. If you can’t go to therapy, find that one friend that can be your sounding board. I promise, it’s worth it!

If you find that any of this has resonated with you or feel like it could help a loved one, please share! Please don’t feel like this is something you should be burdened with alone and reach out for help. If you want to connect with me, I would love to chat as well!