My anxiety doesn’t define me, but it definitely shapes how I deal with things in my life and I enjoy sharing experiences and knowledge with others. Check out some ways to power through anxiety. And share any experiences or comments!
R for Redirect
How does your anxiety feel? How does it present itself? Racing thoughts? Heart pounding? Trouble breathing? Whether it’s an anxious phase or an anxiety attack, I’ve always said that my anxiety feels like adrenaline that I really don’t want or need. My body feels ready to battle or run away or…something intense. Recently I saw…
Q for Questions
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term skill building process to help change your way of thinking in response to anxiety triggers. Check out my previous post I for Identify Triggers, J for Journal for a bit more on identifying anxiety triggers. If CBT is something you’re curious about, definitely do some research. There’s a…
P for Photos
“You’re more than your anxiety.” It’s true, you know. Our anxiety, fears, stress, problems don’t define us, even though it can feel like it. When you get so deep in them, it’s hard to believe there’s any other place to be. But there is! Nowadays there’s so much evidence of really good times. Pull out…
O for Oils
No, not CBD oils…check out this post for a brief take on that. I want to also address essential oils for anxiety. Earlier this year I was part of a 7-day study by Doterra to look at how oils and oil blends affect stress and anxious feelings throughout the day. I realized that they had…
N for Noise
Been away for a minute gathering myself. I thought that I’d successfully done that after our family moved, but I was SO overwhelmed that I had to take a true step back from everything… That being said, I have found a new source of relief from my anxiety, and it just so happens to fit…
M for Massage
I also considered M for Meditation, but between already covering Breathing and Hypnosis, and how common meditation is in anxiety relief, I wanted to take another angle. I started regular massage therapy a few years ago to help manage pain from a musculoskeletal issue. On top of chiropractic adjustments, it was a way to relieve…
L for Light & Lamps
Back from a brief hiatus to move down the east coast with the family — I will definitely share the ins and outs of a 2-day move with a 5-year old and 5-month old twins in a later post… Let’s keep this train rolling!! I wanted to use ‘L’ to discuss some lighting and lamp…
K for Kava
Kava, kava kava, Piper methysticum – all terms for a shrub root extract found in the South Pacific that is said to have anxiolytic properties. Although there aren’t a lot of thorough studies using this herb for anxiety, there are some good sources within this post. I’ll admit, this one is a little different. As…
I for Identify Triggers, J for Journal
One the first steps to overcoming (still in progress) my anxiety was to figure out why I was so anxious in the first place. I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), but that doesn’t mean that certain events, places, or things can’t worsen these feelings. There are so many triggers of anxiety and they vary from…
H for Hypnosis
When I first met my therapist and she introduced the idea of hypnotherapy for mental clarity and peace, my mind went straight to “Get Out” and my eyes got huge. I’m not interested in visiting the Sunken Place or seeing that movie again. Ever. Thankfully there were no tea cups involved and I didn’t become…
G for Gardening
It’s been awhile! Time to jump back into the ABCs of anxiety relief. This one is a bit of fun… Gardening can be good for the soul, but it’s actually been shown to reduce anxiety as well. I don’t mean clearing out a section of your yard and planting an wide assortment of vegetables and…
F for Faith
I’m continuing my ABC’s of anxiety help with faith. Such a simple word to describe something different to everyone. I personally have found a lot of comfort believing that God has greater plans for me than I can even imagine. That He has promised me many things in this life. All He asks in return…
D for Diet, E for Exercise
It just made sense to me to have these together. The common theme is that focusing on making healthy choices can greatly lower anxiety and stress. Diet meaning the foods we eat, not starting a diet to lose weight. And exercise meaning how we get our body moving and heart rate up but, again, not…
C for CBD Oil
I think we may finally be at the point of not seeing CBD as taboo, or as some sort of dangerous drug. Whether it’s for pain or stress, insomnia or anxiety, there is clear evidence of CBD’s effectiveness. Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second most prevalent component in marijuana (Harvard Med – link below) but is…
B for Breathing
When my Apple Watch tells me to breathe, I always hit snooze or ignore it. Who has time to breathe these days?! If I take a whole minute for deep breathing, that’s one less minute I can use to worry about my life. As crazy as it sounds, that’s pretty much what happens. In all…
A for Acupuncture
I was trying to think of a series to dive into the many options for anxiety treatment and was inspired by a fellow blogger, Calm Wildness, to consider the ABC’s of coping with anxiety. Let’s kick it off with acupuncture. While I’ve never tried it, I’ve known many people who have received these treatments for…
Taking the Tee 