I am an observer. I enjoy watching what people do in real life, or I should say, I am fascinated by watching people in real life. I can’t say that I enjoy all of the things I see, for human beings are of light and dark. Sometimes our dark side plays too much, and that saddens, confuses, or just plain upsets me as I know a person being too much in their dark space is usually coming from a place of internal pain.
Please note that all I ever share is coming from a place & tone of love and hope for humanity … yes YOU
Although some will argue with me that they need over-the-counter medications forever, I firmly believe there’s a balance in everything. I have taken medication (prescription) for my anxiety a handful of times over the years since I was diagnosed in my early 20s with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
The reason I stopped taking the meds back in the day was that the doctor increased my dose, it was just “what they do”, and I literally felt numb. I had no feelings. I’d much rather live with anxiety and find coping mechanisms than live without ANY feelings. That’s just me.
Then later on, I went through various situations that I felt were a wee bit much for my cave woman brain, and thus I took the medication for a little while to just take the edge off while I sorted through the emotions and healing parts of whatever it was I was going through in that season.
Both of those times were due to an intense breakup that included emotionally abusive (legit emotional abuse, not “he hurt my feelings” fluff). Then another time had to do with a delayed response to something dramatic in my life. Anyway, I do believe medication has a purpose at some level, I just (FOR ME) do not wish to live on medication if at all possible.
I have watched way too many neuroscientists that show we can repair our DNA and grow our brains in new ways to think that any human being must live on medication. It will take a lot of hard work though, so I can see how it seems impossible especially when a lot of these new ways of healing our body may cost more than the average human can afford.
My disclosure for those who get upset when I talk about this subject …
I am merely sharing this as a way to show that I am not 100% against modern medications, I just feel there is a time and a place for using them, but if you can find the tools, support, and strength to carry on without them; well then that’s an amazing ability and probably will suit you better in the confidence department and life overall.
Especially as times change and we are about to see things get far worse than better, having to rely on a doctor or medication for livelihood makes my heart ache for those who are already having difficulties finding their meds or affording them.
So this is not a hit piece on RX medication, I wanted to share my experiences, and feelings on the subject. BEFORE heading into sharing what helps me so that maybe you can find a new tool to add to your toolshed of helpful ideas to live life fully.
Please note that all I ever share is coming from a place & tone of love and hope for humanity … yes YOU
What are some tools I can use to combat anxiety?
There are many tools to use to combat anxious feelings. The thing with anxiety is that it’s coming from an irrational state of mind. I’ve noticed when my anxiety is starting to creep in that my stomach aches and that’s the moment I realize I am not living in the present moment.
All too often I get ahead of myself thinking about ALL of the things that need answers. One way I combat anxiety is to become more …
Mindful of my Body’s Responses
I have always been pretty aware of my body and how I feel internally. I am not sure how to explain it, but I am fully connected as long as I listen to it. You see, a previous situation in my life had me ignoring my gut instincts – this mind/body connection – and I stopped being mindful of my body’s responses.
This is a dangerous place to be. We are supposed to be instinctual. The instincts we have can protect us. The problem is, that they can also harm us. We live in a fast-paced world and have morphed into who we are today based on our experiences, cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, and so forth. It’s not just this one-size-fits-all-box for each human.
While I know for sure that every human is capable of being mindful of their body’s responses, I also know that the world can figuratively beat that out of us. When that happens, it’s a long process to get it back, but you can! You truly can!
How to start getting the mind body connection back …
So to start, spend 15 minutes every day listening to your thoughts, and writing them down. Jot down everything that comes to mind during these 15 minutes. Pay attention to the sounds around you. The feelings. The ANYTHING that flies into your mind during this 15-minute session.
Get it all out. Do this for 15 minutes every day and then analyze what it is that is legit and what it is that’s fear-based or has no data from your life’s experiences to prove it’s a true fear or feeling. I will be sharing some YouTube Videos soon that elaborate on this concept to help you more.
Eat Better Foods
The things that are in our foods are killing our mind-body connections. The chemicals they put into processed foods are legit studied before being used to make us more addicted. Don’t believe me? Find the episode of Impact Theory where Tom mentions that they researched this type of stuff when making Quest bars, I believe. Don’t quote me on the actual product/brand. If I find the episode in my Spotify list, I will link it directly here in the future.
Full disclosure: do not always eat “the right all-natural foods” … see this recent FB post of mine:
As you can see, that’s a pint of ice cream pictured there. While it is made by a local Veteran owned farm, it’s not all “healthy” foods or what some call healthy. I believe in balance, and I also believe in living life fully.
When I say eat better foods as a means to ward off anxiety, I am talking about choosing to eat more real foods rather than having a diet full of processed foods. Let me elaborate on this for those, like my adult & teen kids, who will tell me, “nearly everything is processed, MOM” … *insert mom eye roll here*
I try to have my diet based mostly on foods that are real, with the exception that (as my literal kid tells me) milk, which is technically processed … ha! And cheese – processed! I don’t think the average human being is going to live life fully by stressing over the food right away.
I just say start where you’re comfortable, replace 1 meal per day with fresh natural foods like a salad or a grass-fed burger with non-GMO gluten-free bun. My tips for those out there who don’t want to fuel anxiety with this diet change, here’s how we slowly adjust our diets:
- Start with non-gmo products
- Next pay attention to gluten-free labeling
- Try multiple brands, as some gluten-free options are gross, others are great
- Read the ingredients, if it’s something you have to search to know what it is – do not eat it.
That’s where we started. The simple way. And we replaced ONE meal per day rather than cutting everything at once. Humans will not do well if you just flat out CHANGE IT ALL AT ONCE … so take a pace that makes sense, and use my mindful body connection tips to see how your body responds to eat food choice.
Funny story about foods … and my mind …
Here’s my recent experience of choosing processed foods or dining out too much and how I felt. I started to feel anxious, sad, and like I didn’t want to move. I did not want to get things done. I just wanted to lay in bed.
Why?
I sat in meditation with my thoughts for 15 minutes and realized I had been feeding temptations. I ordered out. I had junk. I was drinking more alcohol than usual (I barely drink as alcohol has seemed to be the cause of many of my dark choices in life). That’s when I realized, I was torturing myself by eating bad-for-me-foods.
I wouldn’t have realized this if I had not sat with my thoughts for 15 minutes to determine what the root cause was for my feelings of not wanting to move.
And then in this moment? It dawned on me that, perhaps, some of the people online I see struggling (or in real life) with downward emotions, lack of energy, and so forth, are maybe eating more processed junk foods than not.
And honestly? Yes. I see the correlation with other human beings out there. I mean, even this source says that studies are proving my thoughts to be true.
Get Up and Walk
Last, but surely not least, even a therapist said this is what I need. Let’s go back to that time when (before our divorce) we wanted to try marriage counseling. The counselor told me that I was simply broadcasting. I wasn’t saying anything with emotion behind it. That I needed to pause and find something that helped ground me.
Walking was my answer. I know that whenever I take a walk, my thoughts and emotions slow down. This was so many years ago. I don’t even know how old our sons were, but since we were only married for a couple fo years, I will say this was when they were super young toddlers. We got married when our 1st son was about 15 months old, and had our second son about a year after getting married.
We are now back together after marriage, kids, and divorce of 8+ ish years but that’s a story for another day.
So anyway, each time I feel like I am “broadcasting” rather than “feeling”, I remember to take a walk. I can even do this in my living room, office, or wherever. I put on the Walking Away the Pounds video on YouTube (I do own the Ultimate Collection DVD of this).
This is the final thing that I do to help ward off anxiety and bring my mind and body together in a place of zen or peace as some call it. Knowing that you’re out of control is the first step. It’s fine to watch these social media people say it’s OK to be crazy and to feel all over the place and to just be depressed for days … you have that choice.
However, if you want to feel better and live better? If you yearn to be more aware and alive? I highly recommend you walk regularly, sit with your thoughts for 15 minutes every day, and watch what you put into your mind & body.
Food and media consumption are the two biggest factors why so many human beings are feeling sad, lonely, and not worthy. Fuel your mind & body with people who bring the light out in your world. Find those people, and hold on tight to them. We are born with joy in our hearts, you can find it again.
Conclusion Thoughts
As you can see, I firmly believe that when you can reconnect with the mind-body then you can live a more freeing life. But how do you get there? How does one who isn’t naturally inclined to be this way, get there? Well, you use my tips above and morph them into something that works for you.
Remember, there are chemicals in the air, never mind our foods. So this process is going to be difficult, but if you want a hand to hold during the process, let’s chat! I actually enjoy helping others work through this. I am not a therapist, I am a goal success life coach. But I did create this walking course, and yes it sounds silly, but if you get in and try it? You will find that it helps you beyond just walking every day … It is one step towards feeling and living better. This is an email and video (with captions) course.
