Tips from an Ex-Anxiety Girl
From someone who used to experience bouts of severe anxiety, I’m going to share what has worked for me.
I have been doing a daily tip on Facebook on this topic and after receiving so many personal messages of those experiencing anxiety and their successes with my tip, I decided to post the first five daily posts in a blog.
Grounding: Especially important if you are experiencing panic attacks. Putting yourself in the present moment by looking for and naming ten items in the space that you are in. Say the item names out loud as you look at them. This helps to stop your brain from over-thinking and breaks the cycle of anxious thoughts that are overtaking your reasoning.
After completing this little task, I would then remove my shoes and connect with the floor, or even better, I would go outside and connect with grass, sand, or water.
Adrenaline; Sometimes I could feel real physical symptoms (tensed muscles, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, inability to remember basic things, inability to think straight), my guess was that these were brought on by a surge of epinephrine (adrenaline) due to traumatic circumstances, but other times my body would just go haywire for no reason. I would feel perfectly relaxed and then boom, those symptoms would hit.
Without getting into technical detail on the mechanisms, there’s an accepted link between anxiety, glucose, and adrenaline. Both high and/or low blood glucose can exacerbate the above symptoms I describe.
Diet; Small incremental diet changes had an enormous impact on me.
Here are a few;
Good quality protein for breakfast
No dried fruit, honey, cane sugar or dairy in my diet gradually turned into consecutive anxiety-free days.
No protein in my diet for four hours prior to going to bed. My psychology studies cautioned the hypothesis that eating protein raises the levels of tyrosine, which prompts the brain to manufacture norepinephrine and dopamine, which can keep you energized because they promote alertness and activity.
I practiced these tactics for years. I wasn’t 100% with them but definitely, 90% and my results encouraged me to continue down the path of freedom from anxiety.
Breath: I used to equate my anxiety with proof of my personal weakness😥
Thankfully I educated myself on the complexity of anxiety and its’ host of possible causes; genetics, stress, underlying physical conditions, and trained reaction.
Anxiety is not proof of personal weakness. So do not go to war with your own body as I did. I’d wake most mornings with my heart pounding and my thoughts in a battle to regain some normalcy. I’d then beat myself up both physically and mentally throughout the day.
As simple as it sounds, taking time out during my day to stop and breathe deeply, particularly if I felt panic building, began to bring me comfort and relief.
The 4-7-8 technique has been a gem. It’s so easy, breathe in for four counts, hold the breath for seven counts, exhale for the full eight counts. You may not get it straight away but it’s a beautiful distraction to practice it ♥︎