A girls guide to loving yourself through anxiety.

Self-care has been a major focus of mine in 2021. I am looking for more peace, happiness, and living my truth. That means taking care of myself. This is hard for those of us who are used to fighting everyone else’s battles and putting everyone else first. What I realized is that to keep up with all my responsibilities I have to put myself first. If I am feeling my best, it is easier for me to give my all and fulfill my responsibilities. However, we all know that we cannot be positive all the time. These are the things that I do to help bring myself back. Here are the things that I am doing to take care of myself.

Breaking down the time.

Sometimes the day is just too much. Let’s be honest sometimes it can be really overwhelming, so I have been trying to break down my time. Instead of taking on the whole day, I start to take on the hour. If that seems too much I take on the minutes. This has also helped me break down my to-do list. I have to work on being ok with not getting everything done, but this is a work in progress I am sure for all of us! Keep at it, and remember it will be okay and you will get through the rough patch.

Breath.

Breathing is something that I am not great at. When I am stressed I hold my breath which only heightens the anxiety and stressful feelings. This is also something that I am still working on. Recently when I have been feeling anxiety and it is becoming too much I take five minutes and sit in my bedroom in the dark and focus on breathing. This has been something that has really helped me and allows me to see that things are not as hard or as bad as they seem.

Exercise.

This is something that I have pretty much always been on and off with. I have been “on” with the exercise recently because I know that it makes me feel better. It gives me a win for the day if it has not been a great one. It allows me to give myself some much needed “me” time. It helps me to have more energy to get through every day. I find that the best time for me to work out is in the evening to end my day. I take a hot shower after and that seems to relax me and give me the downtime that I need to get the best sleep that I can.

Face mask.

Okay girl we both know that you have been eyeing that face mask that you have been wanting to try in the target beaut isle. Pick it up!! Yes, do it because you are worth that couple of bucks that you are going to spend on it. Make a night of it run a hot bath, light some candles, put on your favorite playlist, and put that face mask on. We both know that you will feel better about yourself. As you should because you are a queen and you should treat yourself because yes, life is hard but it doesn’t always have to be!

Take a Break.

This one feels a little non-authentic for me to be saying, however, this is something that I am actively working on. Working with children I cannot tell you how many times I have asked a child if he/she needs a break. So why shouldn’t I take a break if I need to? Sometimes emotions are too much and we need to take a breather to help us figure things out. This is okay. This is something that I am going to commit to doing more often. I hope you all will join me.

Get Ready.

Sometimes we all know that we would feel better if we just got up and got ready. Whatever that means for you. Take a shower and put some leggings and a big shirt on, pull your hair back and get to work on making your day great. Or maybe you need to do your hair and makeup put something you feel great in on and tackle the day. Whatever this means for you, do it. You can and will achieve things today, and you will be great. This also changes for all of us, so if today you feel like you need to feel comfy and tomorrow you need to walk the runway get it, girl. I am here to support whatever you need.

Girls Night.

Okay, so this one is hard right now I know. We are all socially distancing. But, we can make it work. How about video chats with some wine and good conversation. Do not underestimate your tribe! If you need them call on them and let them help you. Do not keep it all in.

Dance PARTY:

Throw your favorite playlist on, put some headphones in, close your bedroom door, and dance. Not only will it get you up and moving but seriously how can you be anything but happy when you are dancing. I am currently having a dance party while doing my hair and working on this article! Feeling pretty good over here! Thanks, Justin Timberlake!!

Walk.

My walks usually have a dog and leash with them. Today was a lot for me! So I put my headphones down (usually I listen to music while I walk) and just walked and reconnected with myself in nature. Yes, it felt off to just be still with nature but it was so needed.

Anxiety is hard to live with, I know. You never feel like it’s enough. The tailspin is so fast. Please do not stop taking care of yourself and remember that you matter. I know that it is not easy. Fight for the things that you need. I know you want to take care of everyone else, but that is not going to happen if you do not take care of yourself. Whatever your self-care is do something that will take care of you today!!

7 Comforting Foods To Help With COVID Stress

Stress and anxiety can create physical and mental chaos. COVID-19 has aggravated the problem globally. There is no sight of vaccination. Hope and prayers are failing to bring anything constructive. Can eating come of any help? Food items are a ‘new normal’ that is shaping pandemic recovery.

What is the connection between COVID-19 stress and food? Stress-causing pandemic is not just limited to mental abilities. It can prod indigestion and irritable bowels, which can mess with your gut causing digestive stress, heartburn, constipation, bloating, and stomach discomfort. There are many ways to lessen this stress. Correct dietary habits can keep your gut healthier and happier. Here are some uplifting food options for your health and gut. Practice them for an excellent and healthy appetite.

1. Eat Protein-Rich Nuts

Stress eats upon vitamin B stores in our body. Nut snacking helps to replenish our system with proteins. B vitamins protect our body’s neurotransmitters and help them fight stressful situations. Eating a few servings of potassium-rich pistachios a day helps reduce blood pressure and cuts down the strain on our heart. Eat a handful of almonds and walnuts to boost your energy level and improve your mood. Nuts are rich in omega-3, zinc, and keep blood sugar levels at an optimum level.

2. Include CBD As Dietary Supplement

Quelling pandemic anxiety is not a straightforward task. Natural remedies like hemp-derived CBD are showing positive results and good recovery from stress and depression. CBD in edible forms like gummies and oils are a delicious way to get functional benefits from the cannabis plant. Buy Lazarus Naturals online to get a sense of calm, focus, and fast-acting effects from CBD and other phytocannabinoids. CBD oil tinctures use the sublingual route for quicker results.

3. Tuck Into A Bowl Of Oatmeal

Complex carbs like oatmeal can make you feel more relaxed and calmer. The increased serotonin production (a brain chemical) reduces stress hormones. So, instead of reaching out for a sugar-filled breakfast bowl, turn to complex carb-rich oatmeal. It doesn’t hike your spiked glucose levels and is a healthy inclusion in your diet.

4. Spoil Yourself In Raw Vegetables And Leafy Greens

Tame your stress and hassle by including crunchy raw vegetables in your diet. Celery and carrots help ward off tension. Leafy vegetables like spinach contain folate, a dopamine-inducing brain chemical that helps you keep calm. The Journal of Affective Disorders published a research study done on 2,800 middle-aged people and senior citizens, which revealed that folate eaters had lower depression symptoms than those who ate the least.

Folate and fiber-rich vegetables like cabbage, collard greens, spinach help stabilize mood. Aside from the green diet, root-based veggies like sweet potatoes have plenty of vitamins, fiber, and minerals that boost serotonin neurotransmitters.

5. Treat Yourself To Fruits

Most of you like to end your meals with something sugary. Sodas and sugary drinks are sweet-led and refreshing takeaways. But they are calorie-rich and have no health benefits. Fresh fruits have natural sugars that are harmless to the body. They complete your body’s fiber, health, and energy needs and give you a nutritious and wholesome advantage. They also keep you feeling fuller for a more extended period.

6. Bite Into Stress-Relieving Dark Chocolate

The healthful flavonoids in dark chocolate improve blood vessel flow. Just a bite of the pampering dark cocoa reduces stress hormones, including cortisol. It also reduces the ‘fight-or-flight’ hormones known as catecholamines in stressed individuals. Dark chocolate also has a seductive reputation as an aphrodisiac. Choose dark chocolate that has 70 percent cocoa. Remember to eat it in moderation to help you seek comfort from stress, not as regular milk chocolate that increases calories.

7. Sip Herbal Tea

The University College London showed exciting research findings on tea and anti-stress. A UCH study revealed that tea drinkers de-stressed faster and experienced lower cortisol levels than those who drank a placebo. Although black tea came into use in the research study, herbal and decaffeinated teas score an edge over ordinary teas in stress-fighting abilities. Have a cup of chamomile tea. It has an apigenin antioxidant that enables good sleep by binding to sleep receptors. Peppermint tea also brings a soothing effect to the digestive tract.

Mindful Food Choices That Can Drive Corona Anxiety Away

Here are some slight changes you need to bring in your dietary habits to avoid pandemic stress and strain.

● Devise a daily meal plan for yourself and your family and follow it relentlessly.

● Buy fewer processed foods like cheese, cakes, slices of bread, and edibles containing high-salt and high-sugar.

● Load up your diet with low-calorie foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, yogurt, and lean proteins. It will help build up immunity and resistance.

● Flavor drinking water with citrus fruits and berries to add a health approach to it.

● Include comfort foods at least once a day in your meals to enjoy the most benefit.

● Make clear soups an essential part of dinner.

● Substitute carb dishes at night, such as rice with healthy chapatis.

Conclusion

Welcome, 2021, with the power of anti-stress comfort foods. Eating healthy food, and that’s a conscious choice, can help you come out of COVID stress and brace optimism. Give up eating a calorie-rich and oily diet alone or with your friends and family. Switch to healthy, organic, and fat-free choices for an active heart and abundant wellness. Make a persistent effort in the New Year to eat healthy and organic food, and you will love your decision.

About The Author

Lisa Dinh is a thorough and meticulous Content Analyst. She commits herself to continuous learning and focuses on sharing ideas and techniques learned from her experiences. And she is a passionate writer who loves writing about health and wellness. She writes in a concise manner so that the information is helpful for everyone.

Pandemic Anxiety: It’s OK To Not Be Okay Right Now

No, I have not been okay, and I am sorry but smiling is not going to help me feel less miserable. You pointing it out is not helping. Also, honestly, it is none of your business why I am feeling the way that I am. I feel like crap and yes, I probably look like it too. However, you pointing that out was not, in the slightest, helpful to the situation. It was actually really rude. Not only that now I am walking around judging myself all because you judged the look on my face and told me that I looked miserable and all I needed to do was smile.

This is what I wanted to say to someone who told me that I looked miserable and just needed to smile more and everything would be okay. I am here to tell everyone that if you see someone struggling, this is probably not what you want to say to them. Making some feel even worse than they already do because it makes you feel uncomfortable is not helpful. It is, in fact, a really selfish thing to say. What we as a culture need to get used to, is that it is okay to not be okay.

So to the girl who is not okay, it is okay that you are feeling that way. No, it won’t last forever. Yes, you will probably be in this place at some point in your life again. However, it is not hopeless. Here are some things that I am doing now when I am not okay:

1. Journaling:

This one is more recent. And is something that I used to think was not easy nor was it really useful. However, I was really wrong. What every is going on that is bothering you needs to come out. Stuffing it all down is not helping. Get it out of you and on paper. I feel better and honestly I had to learn this the hard way. So just write!

2. Walking

I find that getting my heart rate going with some cardio will take my mind off of whatever I am going through. And I prefer to walk at night because that is when all of my anxiety comes out. When I start thinking about all the things that bother me, I stroll. So taking a walk especially in nature really helps me.

3. Cuddles with my fur baby

My dog (who is my child) has become one of my biggest comforts. She can tell when I am having a hard time and is always down for some cuddle time with her mama. It is good for both of us. I instantly feel calmer.

4. Audiobooks

Listening to something to get my mind off of things is helpful. For me the thing that reduces my anxiety the most is audiobooks. I love music too but I think that can be too stimulating when my anxiety is super high so I have chosen to listen to an audiobook instead. (I have tried to read a book however, I have a hard time concentrating so that is something that I have gotten away from when my anxiety is really high)

5. Sitting alone

No, I am not okay and this may mean that I am not the most fun to be around. Hearing that when you are not okay is really hard to swallow. So, I try to just sit alone. I like to sit outside because it is a lot less miserable being outside then it is being inside alone. This gives me the time and space to digest all of the things that I am thinking.

Coping With COVID19

These are just some of the coping skills that I have learned the last few months. If you are like me dealing with emotions and not being okay is not something that you are great at. It is hard to deal with it because honestly I am not great at it and in the past I didn’t deal with it I threw myself into other things to avoid not feeling okay. I know that I have to deal with those feelings and other feelings that I don’t want to deal with. So I share the things that help me hoping that it also helps you.

Just remember it is okay to not be okay. If you are not okay reach out to someone who will listen then try some of these things to help you feel a little better about life. It won’t last forever!

Anxiety & Covid19: How To Set Affirmations During The Pandemic

Well here we are. In a pandemic. Honestly, I didn’t even know what that meant until it happened. I actually googled ‘pandemic.’ All my anxious brain heard when that word was mentioned was “were all going to die.” That is how powerful our mind is, especially if you’re someone who struggles with anxiety. Anxious thoughts have a way of making you feel powerless and often results in physical and emotional symptoms that may seem impossible to control.

For those of us that struggle with anxiety, logic is basically overruled by the belief that something unlikely or impossible will happen. When we feel loss of control or an anxiety attack comes on, the chances of experiencing irrational thoughts increase. One way to start healing and challenge these thoughts is by recognizing they are there in the first place. Once you can label and dissect an irrational thought, you take away its power!

The truth is, we have more control over the way we think than you may realize! The way we think can influence how we feel, which can control our mood the entire day. This is why we have to practice challenging our irrational thinking patterns. It so important to find a replacement thought in times of high anxiety (like a global pandemic for example).

By being more self-aware and acknowledging that this thought pattern is not accurate, you are successfully telling your anxiety that you know it’s creating this altered view of reality…and that it does NOT have the control! Believe me, I’m not saying this is easy to do, and many times impossible to create this habit without the help of a licensed therapist…BUT believe me, IT WORKS!

This is why I believe in the healing power of affirmations.

Affirmations are simple, first-person, present- tense, active statements that you repeat to yourself on a regular basis. These statements can remind us that we choose the way we think rather than remaining at the mercy of anxious thoughts. As a result, you create the exact state of mind that you wish to be in and for most of us, that’s a positive, healthy and productive state of mind.

Some of my favorite healing affirmations during Covid19:

I have been through hard times before and have survived.

I accept what I cannot change and do my best with what I can. I believe in my ability to get through tough times.

I will not stress over things I cannot control.

My emotions are valid.

It’s ok that yesterday felt like a hard day.

I appreciate my life and find things to be grateful for.

This is hard, but I can do hard things.

Write down the affirmations mentioned here and put them up all around your home…where you can constantly VISUALLY SEE THEM! This will help remind you that even in times of panic, the feeling is temporary. Make sure your affirmations REALLY speak to you personally, counter your own negative self-talk, and are meaningful.

About The Author

Alison Seponara, MS, LPC is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice located in Lafayette Hill, PA. Alison specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness with women who struggle with anxiety related to a life transition & also works closely helping children with special needs (anxiety, ADHD, & autism). Along with her private practice, Alison has created an amazing social media brand all about how to heal anxiety from the inside out. You can learn all about her own anxiety healing journey and other tips & tricks by following her on Instagram at @theanxietyhealer. Alison also offers online anxiety healing courses which can be found at theanxietyhealingschool.com. Alison’s mission is to help those from around the world feel less alone in their anxiety and offer awareness and education in mental health.