Exercise
- releases endorphins- calms body and relaxes mind, relieves tension, mood-enhancement effect, helps people be less sensitive to fight or flight sensations, better sleep, depletes cortisol and brings is back to normal level, improve energy levels
Diet/Nutrition
Changing your diet can help you greatly reduce anxiety. Poor diet can exacerbate anxiety. You want to eat mostly whole foods and limit or eliminate processed foods. You want to greatly limit sugar intake. The following books go into greater detail about diet choices that will help you reduce anxiety.
The Food-Mood Solution by Jack Challem
The Anti-Anxiety Food Solution by Trudy Scott, CN
Vitamins/Herbs
Vitamin C- Adrenal glands need Vitamin C. The highest concentration of Vitamin C in the body is in the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands use Vitamin C in the production of hormones, particularly cortisol. When you are experiencing ongoing stress, Vitamin C is used up quickly with the production of cortisol and other stress hormones. When your adrenals do not have enough Vitamin C, they get stressed and in response, they release even more cortisol, increasing feelings of anxiety (and other negative physical effects). Also, not having enough vitamin C weakens immune system, so you are more likely to get sick. Illnesses put more stress on the immune system. Vitamin C is water soluble; you want to take small doses throughout the day rather than one big dose.
B Vitamins- crucial for good adrenal function. you want a B-vitamin that has B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12 (B6 & B12- especially important). help with energy. help regulate cortisol levels
Magnesium
Adaptogen herbs: Ashwagandha Root, Ginger Root, Gingko Leaf, Ginseng, Holy Basil- these have properties that help body cope with stress and potentially lower high cortisol levels or even a mix of highs and lows. maca root?
for adrenals, adaptonogenic herbs, omega 3s
Meditation
Studies have found that meditation reduces anxiety
My belief from my personal experience is that meditation helps strengthen your impartial observer- the part of you that can stand back from your thoughts and feelings and observe yourself without judgment or alarm. This is a very helpful skill to develop. When you are triggered by something and you start to experience the physical symptoms of anxiousness, rather than be alarmed by your feelings and prolong the anxiety response, you can learn to observe your symptoms without becoming alarmed by them. This takes practice to develop this skill.
Meditation also allows your brain to heal/recover/rest
Activates Parasympathetic Nervous System
Sleep
Good sleep is important to both physical and mental health.
If you are having difficulty sleeping, try to develop a bedtime routine that you stick to. Try to go to bed around the same time each night. Limit exposure to screens before bed. Ideally no screens within an hour of when you plan to go to bed. Screens emit a blue light that normally we would be exposed to midday, so it can confuse our brains (our brains start to release certain hormones as it gets dark, when our eyes are exposed to light after dark, it can disrupt this process). Invest in a good pair of orange glasses that can reduce blue light exposure.
For a while, I was barely sleeping at night. My anxiety was so high, and my coritsol levels were high at night. Cortisol is a hormone that is supposed to be highest mid morning and it wanes throughout the day, and is low at night. This allows the brain to sleep. If your cortisol goes up at night, you feel wide awake and alert. There are supplements that can help to curb cortisol production so that it doesn’t get so high at night. You may want to get your cortisol levels checked through a saliva test and then determine if you need supplements to reduce nighttime cortisol production.
Sometimes it can be stressful when you are laying there awake trying to fall asleep. And stress is counterproductive. Do not focus on trying to fall asleep, rather allow your body to relax and allow yourself to sleep. Stressing will not help, so try to accept if you are laying there awake when you want to be sleeping. Try to just lay there and rest. Think peaceful, calming thoughts.
Laughing
decreases stress hormones
when we smile the brain releases dopamine (even fake/forced smiling)
triggers release of endorphins
boosts immune system