I just listened to a superb talk on anxiety by Dr Gottfried and Dr Shojai and just had to share the take away points!
How can you even tell if you are suffering from low level anxiety? Below are a few questions to ask yourself and if you answer yes to any of them, then the answer is YES – you are probably suffering with low-level anxiety (and, by the way, you don’t need to be in full panic mode to be anxious).
- Do you you find it hard to make decisions?
- Do you find yourself saying “I don’t know what I’m doing with my life”?
- Can you sit for 10 minutes and enjoy the moment you are in, or does your mind race with a list of to do’s and places you need to be at?
- Are you edgy?
If you suspect that indeed you are suffering with some level of anxiety, try these 5 suggestions below before you run to the nearest psychiatrist or revert to taking prescription anti-anxiety medications.
- Start with your biology – stabilize your blood sugar by eating. Is your body freaking out because you’re not eating enough or not eating slow metabolizing carbs and proteins? Check-in and check out what you are feeding your body and brain – maybe all you need is some sugar (from real food).
- Balance your time & events – start saying NO if you’re doing too much.
- Find your way back to the present moment by tuning into your own breath. Do some belly breathing, listen to the sound of your breath for 1 full minute and notice the difference.
- Avoid the upper in the morning – CAFFEINE and the downer in the evening – ALCOHOL. Some people are unable to metabolize caffeine and alcohol properly which causes blood sugar and hormone imbalances that lead to anxiety.
- Manage your life – start saying YES to the things that make you happy! For me it’s my daily Ashtanga mysore practice, without it I am one stressed out, anxiety ridden, crazy woman!
- Get outside and BE with nature, sometimes all we need is some grounding and some time away from our electronic gadgets.
I hope you take a moment to check in with yourself this summer – it’s the perfect time for you to get back in alignment and in rhythm with nature.
