Some of the most powerful tools to create happiness and diminish anxiety are right at our fingertips: we were just never taught them.
It’s like this: turn the radio to 101.5 and you might hear country. Turn it to 101.9 and you might hear Rap. If you never turn the radio dial, you may think the radio only plays country. Other radio waves might be in the air, but we need to be tuned into them to hear the correct frequency.
In this case, the frequency is your peace of mind. If we experience stress or anxiety and we never tune into other ways of thinking and living, we’ll always be stuck on the same station. When we feel stuck this way, we find ourselves having the same experiences and creating the same situations for ourselves. This contributes to and feeds our feelings of anxiety on a seemingly endless loop.
There are simple ways to break out of the stressed or panicked frequency we’re used to, and tune into a manageable, stress-free life. Here’s how:
Mindfulness – Mindfulness is the basis for thought-reformation, or the ability to re-route your thinking. When we’re mindful, we slow down. We take time to appreciate all the beauty around us. We feel grateful for the moment, in the moment – and far beyond. If we practice mindfulness from moment-to-moment, we’ll tap into the different ways to use this attentiveness when we face difficult or stressful situations. This will provide clear and present instructions – immediately – about how to tackle things that might otherwise make us panic.
Meditation – A small meditation practice involves just sitting still and closing your eyes. Focus on your breath. Take one breath in through your nose and fill your belly with air. Release the air through your mouth. Repeat. Then, picture a blank stage. Onto this stage comes the best, most loving, stress-free, healthiest version of yourself. Hold the image of that person in your mind. Maybe it matches up to who you are today – maybe you have a little work to do. Think back, in your mind, to what it took for the Best version of you to become that person. Maybe you switched your diet. Maybe you have a different job. Maybe you started exercising every day. Once you figure out what it would take for you to become that person, write it down. When you have a list of goals, try them, one by one. These are powerful ways we can take our control back and become exactly who we picture ourselves to be in our mind. When we have this control, our anxiety naturally melts away.
GABA – Many people find that GABA is the perfect remedy for their anxiety issues, because it tends to naturally slow down the way your neurons fire while regulating brain activity. Without enough GABA, your neurons may be trigger-happy: firing too often and too easily. Those with severe anxiety have been shown to have lower levels of GABA than normal.
Supplements – While Rx medication is the most common method of treating anxiety used in the Western world today, it’s not necessarily the most effective. Each pill comes with dangerous side effects, like depression, increased anxiety, allergies and even risk of overdose or death. If I told you there was a natural alternative to valium that wasn’t addictive, would you believe me? Well, there is! It’s called Valerian, a powerful and effective herb that can calm nerves, relieve tension and help you manage stress. Valerian creates a greater sense of well-being. It can be taken as a tea or tincture, and is great for relieving sore muscles as well.
Magnesium – Magnesium is a natural mineral used to relieve anxiety and calm the nerves. It regulates your nervous system to prevent stress, anxiety, fear, nervousness and restlessness. Stress has been proven to cause magnesium deficiency, and that lack of magnesium then amplifies the stressful feelings you’re already having. With less than 30% of adults consuming the recommended amount of magnesium, many scientist believe that we may be giving ourselves cultural mass-anxiety by not supplementing. You can take magnesium in supplement or powder form, adding it to your drinks and baths. This is the magnesium I recommend in powder or capsule form (here).
