How to overcome anxiety and stress
Anxiety is a state of mind and body where you feel stressed and tense. This is a very normal human emotion which comes from feeling fear for long periods of time. Fear and anxiety can come from many issues such as social fear, nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances, feeling insecure, phobias and feeling judged by other people.
In this article, we will share with you 16 ways to overcome anxiety. You will learn about what nutrients you need to calm the body, how to relax your mind and how to reprogram your brain to feel calm every day.
1. Nutritional Yeast: The first step to calming anxiety is loading up on healthy nutrients which calm the nervous system. Nutritional yeast is the best source of Vitamin B1 which naturally calms the body and mind. B vitamins help to lower the stress hormone called cortisol in the body.
2. Sunshine: When rays of sunshine contact the skin, the body makes Vitamin D, a very important compound which lowers stress. Vitamin D acts like a hormone and helps to regulate cortisol levels in the adrenal glands. If you can’t get much sunshine, you can take a supplement of Vitamin D3 daily.
3. Low-Stress Exercise: Performing long walks, yoga and other gentle forms of exercise help to calm the parasympathetic nervous system. Breathing in lots of fresh oxygen helps to calm and pull stress out of the body. Do this 2-3 times per week for the best effects.
4. Potassium to overcome stress: This is one of the most important minerals needed by the human body and can be found in many different leafy green foods. Potassium is a physiological tranquillizer which calms the body down, balances blood pressure and reduces the pulse. We recommend eating avocados and beet tops daily, as these are some of the best natural sources of potassium.
5. Reduce Sugar to overcome anxiety: Consuming lots of sugary food and carbs causes blood sugar problems and anxiety. Sugar causes problems with the insulin hormone in the body which leads to mood swings and stressful emotions. Reduce sugar and consume protein-rich breakfasts with healthy fats instead of cereals and carbs. You will soon notice that you can think more clearly and have a better focus.
6. DIM: Anxiety is often caused by hormone imbalances, so we recommend taking a daily supplement of DIM (Diindolylmethane). This is a natural pill made from concentrated cruciferous vegetables. This detoxes the liver and restores the right balance of estrogen and testosterone in the body. Hormone imbalances at the leading cause of stress, nervous tension and racing thoughts.
7. Improve Sleep: People with anxiety find it difficult to fall asleep at night, however, sleep is important to reduce stress and reset brain chemistry. Valerian root capsules can be taken to help you drift off. You may also perform a relaxing body scan. To do this, simply lay in bed comfortably and slowly bring your attention to your feet, working your way up through the body and making each muscle relax, and releasing tension. This is a powerful way to focus your mind and relax.
8. Magnesium to fight stress: If you are deficient in magnesium then you will feel in a constant state of stress or anxiety. Eating vegetables like kale, avocado, arugula, broccoli and cabbage will boost magnesium levels in the body. Magnesium relaxes the muscles and allows for better blood flow to the heart.
9. Meditation: Meditating for 10 minutes a day is one of the most powerful ways to reduce anxiety and begin the healing process. Turn off your devices and sit in a comfortable chair. Focus on the breathing and close your eyes for 10 minutes or more. This changes your brain frequency and has a cleansing effect on thoughts. Your attention will wander, simply allow this to happen and then keep bringing attention back to the breath.
10. Amino Acids: There are two amino acids which calm the central nervous system and take the body out of “fight or flight” mode. These are called L-theanine and L-tyrosine which can be found as a supplement or naturally in tea leaves and meat products.
11. Aromatherapy: In order to help you relax you can use essential oils in diffusers or oil burners. These release aromatic compounds into the air which have a calming effect on the body. Massage oils, bathing with fragranced Epsom salt or incense sticks may also be used to trigger relaxation.
12. Adaptogens: There are many natural herbs that are classified as adaptogens. This simply means that they help your body to adapt to stress and make you feel at ease, by improving the health of the adrenal glands and blood pressure. We recommend ashwagandha, ginseng, Rhodiola, maca and cordyceps mushrooms.
13. Let Go: You may be trying to resist the anxiety by trying to ignore it or hide away from it. Letting yourself feel it, and locating the sensations in your body is a great way to release it. You must allow it to pass through you, rather than resisting it. This is an important step to letting go of emotions and overcoming panic attacks.
14. Reduce Alcohol to reduce anxiety: Although it may give you temporary relief from the stress, alcohol triggers the overproduction of cortisol in the adrenal glands which leads to long term stress. Ditch the alcohol and increase your intake of mineral water.
15. Minimalism: De-cluttering and organising your environment can have a massive improvement to your mental health. As you organise the rooms that you live and work in, your mind also becomes organised. Minimalism is a great way to learn about yourself and your emotional attachments to objects. A clean space helps you to think more clearly and relieve stress.
16. Intermittent Fasting: Every time you eat or drink calories the body’s insulin levels are raised. If you are eating regularly through the day, you never give your body a chance to rest and digest. This leads to blood sugar problems and a tendency to rush and hurry. Intermittent fasting is a simple diet trick where you eat all of your calories in a five-hour window during the day. This helps to fix insulin resistance and calm your mind and body.
As you can see there are many steps you can take to overcome anxiety and stress. Remember that anxiety is a natural emotion, so we should never try to hide from it. Accepting it as a part of us is the best way to move on and release it. Exposing yourself to your fears and facing them mindfully is often the best way to overcome them. Many of the methods today help to calm down the nervous system and restore an inner sense of peace. It is important to build healthy routines where you give yourself a little space each day to consciously recharge. Avoid people stress as much as possible. With relatives and friends, don’t go as often and don’t stay as long if they cause you to feel tense. You are worthy of a little peace and downtime to restore your health. A healthy you make a better world for everyone that you know, so never take yourself for granted. Build faith in yourself by repeating affirmations daily, “I am a calm, level headed and peaceful person. The answer to every situation is always within my power”. Reading this affirmation aloud repeatedly will program your subconscious and take the body out of fight or flight mode. You will learn to breathe, take a step back from the situation you are in and find a calm solution. If you suffer with panic attacks you must be aware that these are not dangerous. Do not attempt to stop a panic attack, simply allow it to happen. This may feel awful, but if you accept that you’re going to be fine, it will soon pass and be over with. Knowledge and understanding anxiety is the key to overcoming it, along with balancing your hormones with nutrients and healthy foods.