Shortness of breath, stomach butterflies, dizziness, fear, sweats and chills are just of few of the ways that anxiety affects people. Many times anxiety causes irrational thoughts, but none the less they are real and cause real suffering. For instance, one in four people are nervous when they fly. The odds of being in a plane crash are one in 11 million. You would sooner get struck by lightening then die in a plane crash. However, flying is scary for a lot of people. It is unnatural to be in a vessel in the sky where you have no control, so irrational or not, flying can cause anxiety and suffering. These feelings do not mean anything is wrong with you.

First, you need to practice mindfulness. What is mindfulness? It is being present and aware of where you are in the moment, how you are feeling, what you are doing, and what you are dealing with. When you are feeling anxious, sit quietly and really be aware of your symptoms and if you can, try and identify your trigger. In some cases, you may not know what has triggered you to feel anxious. This is a great time to journal about what you are feeling, the time you are feeling this way and what you think has caused your anxiety. Keeping a journal will allow you to see trends. Maybe you feel anxious right after you put your baby to bed or right after you eat sugar. There are many reasons that you may not be aware of until you start thinking about them. For me, I realized that I get anxious at night. Probably because this is the first time during the day where I am actually relaxing and sitting quietly. The rest of the day I am too busy to focus on my anxiety.

I love this quote from Carl Jung…

I am not what happened to me. I choose what I become

Once you know when your anxiety is triggered and what the trigger is, you can start dealing with it. For example, if you get anxious at bedtime, before bed practice some breathing exercises and do a short 10-15 minute meditation. A great exercise is to close your eyes, breathe in for a count of four, hold for four and breathe out for eight. If you have read my previous blogs, you will know that I use calm.com for my meditations.

Here are some other things that can help ease your anxiety:

1. Medications – Talk to your doctor

2. Supplements – CBD, Viatamin B, Ashwaghanda, Licorice Root, Passionflower, Omega’s

*Supplements are not right for everyone and can interact with certain medications. You should check with your doctor or naturopath before taking any new supplements or medications.

1. Hormones – Low hormone levels, especially progesterone can increase your anxiety. Anxiety also causes a decrease in hormone levels. Talk to your doctor if you feel you may have hormonal issues.

2. Get a good night sleep – Being overtired is a trigger for many people, including myself

3. Eat healthy, well balanced meals – Processed, greasy, sugary or chemical filled foods will increase anxiety levels

4. Limit alcohol and caffeine– These tend to trigger anxiety

5. Self-Care – Daily self care is so important. Take time out for you – take a bath, take a walk or hike, take a nap, read, get a massage, exercise

6. Tea– drink calming team like chamomile , or one without caffeine

These are just some of the things that help me. Everyone is different. You need to find what works for you. You should not have to go through life suffering with anxiety. Being mindful and having tools to deal with anxiety will really make a difference. Do not be ashamed. Again, there is nothing wrong with you or with asking for help. You are strong and can get through this. You own your happiness, so you owe it to yourself to deal with anything that makes you suffer.