Let’s face it, we all deal with anxiety. Some of us more so than others. For some, anxiety is the stress we feel before a deadline or a job interview, and for others it’s crippling and makes daily tasks difficult. Fortunately, anxiety can be reduced and managed. Hopefully, these solutions will help decrease your anxiety and improve your peace of mind.
Common Symptoms of Anxiety
- Racing heart
- Out of breath/hard to breathe
- Sweating (especially palms, armpits)
- Restless
- Tense
- Worried
- Trembling
- Sense of doom/overwhelming fear
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Numbing/Tingling
- Chills/Hot flashes
- Difficulty sleeping
- Overwhelmed
- Impaired concentration
Solutions to help reduce anxiety
Exercise
Get up and move your body. This is a great way to reduce anxiety, stress levels and work towards a healthier you. Exercising at least 3 times a week is beneficial for overall health, however, if you can, work towards moving your body every day, even if it’s only for fifteen minutes or so. Not only does exercising reduce anxiety and get those endorphins flowing, but it has many other health benefits.
- Increases oxygen and blood flow
- Activate the production of new mitochondria resulting in extra energy
- Improves mental health and mood
- Strengthen bones and muscles
- Control weight
Check and Heal your Thyroid
Anxiety is a common symptom associated with thyroid problems, because thyroid hormones help balance our mood neurotransmitters. If your thyroid isn’t functioning properly than these neurotransmitters can become unbalanced resulting in mood issues and anxiety. Make sure your thyroid is healthy through testing, and if not, then finding supplements and nutrition that work towards healing the thyroid can help improve symptoms of anxiety. Read more on thyroid dysregulation here.
Nutrients that help heal the thyroid
- Thiamine
- Selenium
- B12
- Probiotics
- Digestive Enzymes
Click here for more information on healing the thyroid.
Rest and Relaxation
We all need time to destress, especially when living with anxiety. Destress. Relax, meditate, and treat yourself. Enjoy a massage or a salt bath. Knowing when you need to sit down and rest even if your body is telling you to go go go! Sometimes you must say no to let your body refresh and recharge.
Improve Methylation
Do you have an MTHFR mutation? If so, not only do you have an increased risk for stress but also for feeling anxious. But why do you feel that general anxiety? If your methylation system was working properly, then most likely you would have the adequate amounts of serotonin, dopamine, and adrenaline in your brain. Methylation is essential for neurotransmitter production and breakdown. Additionally, when the methylation cycle isn’t working optimally, you will have a slower detoxification process resulting in increased inflammation in your gut. Chronic inflammation can contribute to anxiety. Click here to learn more about MTHFR mutations and methylation.
When your methylation is impaired, your other bodily processes such as DNA repairs, energy production, and the formation of new neurotransmitters are sacrificed. Your methylation cycle has a hand in almost every one of your body’s processes, therefore, maintaining healthy methylation is important. Read more about improving methylation here.
The methylation system relies on B vitamins: Folate, B12, and B6 to work efficiently. Sometimes the body can’t get enough Folate and B12 through diet. Fortunately you can supplement with MTHFR friendly vitamins and nutrients. L-Methylfolate and Methyl B12 are needed to create methyl groups which are normally created from the conversion of folate in the diet.
Click here to improve methylation and reduce anxiety through supplementation.
Magnesium
Magnesium deficiencies are very common occurrences, especially when exposed to chronic stress. However, Magnesium is necessary in having a healthy gut environment and improves overall health and wellness. Additionally, Magnesium helps the brain feel relaxed and calm, reducing anxiety provoking thoughts and allowing the body to feel relaxed and at ease. Soaking in a chelated Magnesium bath before bed can help reduce anxious thoughts and make falling asleep easier.
Balance Hormones
Hormonal imbalances often alter our moods. This is because hormones directly affect our moods. One common hormonal balance that creates anxiety is Estrogen Dominance. This occurs when there is more Estrogen in the body than Progesterone. Estrogen Dominance has many symptoms but one of the most common is anxiety. Click here to read more about Estrogen Dominance.
Improve Estrogen Dominance by eliminating excess Estrogen and getting Estrogen levels down to a more manageable level. Here are a few solutions:
- Calcium D Glucarate – blocks Glucuronidase enzymes from reassembling Estrogen and putting it back into the blood stream. What we recommend for getting rid of excess Estrogen.
- B Vitamins – B Vitamins are needed for optimal methylation. Methylation is required for Estrogen to be eliminated from the body.
- Detoxify – Built up toxins and excess hormones wreak havoc on a body and create all kinds of symptoms and contribute to estrogen dominance.
PCOS or Poly cystic Ovary Syndrome is a hormonal imbalance that commonly creates symptoms of anxiety and mood swings. High levels Androgens, Estrogens, Insulin, and inflammation are a few of the factors involved in developing PCOS. Getting your hormone levels checked, can point you in the direction of which hormones are creating problems for you. Click here to learn more about healing from PCOS.
Eat Healthy Healing Foods
Start eating a healthier diet, including anti-inflammatory and nutrient rich foods. Your diet is very important because most of the nutrients supporting your body come from the foods you eat. You want to put healthy clean organic foods into your body. Avoid processed foods, folic acid, pesticides, chemicals, or heavy metals in foods. These toxins aren’t easily broken down by your body, and can build up and create inflammation, resulting in inflammation and inflammatory symptoms such as anxiety. The foods you put into your body impact how you feel, so make good choices. Click here to read our article on the best nutrients to add to your diet.
Breathe
Practice taking big, focused deep breaths. There are many different breathing patterns that reduce anxiety and make your body feel less tense/stressed. One example is to breathe in through your nose until the count of four, and then breathing out your mouth until the count of four. Another option is to hold your hand up to your right nostil and close the nostril, then breathe through your left nostril, move your hand over your left nostril, cover it and breathe out the right nostril. Then repeat by breathing in with the nostril you just finished breathing out with. This breathing technique is called Alternate Nostril Breathing, and can be very relaxing. Focusing on your breath, can help get your mind off of your anxiety producing thoughts and it feels really good.
