Holistic Practices to Ease Anxiety

I have suffered from anxiety for as long as I can remember. It has gradually been getting worse as I grow older and I am more aware of my surroundings and behavior. When I was younger shrugging it off and saying no to medication was easy because the anxiety was not having a huge effect on my productivity. Now that I am older it has been effecting my life in all spheres. This made me take proactive action.

Medication was never an option, the horror stories I have heard all my life ruled that out. My mistrust for pharmaceuticals weren't much help either. I can not imagine how pumping your body full of artificial hormones can possibly have a positive effect on your emotional stability in the long run. Being on medication my entire life just to function sounds like a nightmare to me.

I believe that if you are willing to pay for expensive medicine, that comes with many side-effects, for the rest of your life then you might as well make a lifestyle change that will benefit you in all aspects. I wanted to be cured of my anxiety, not to hide the symptoms. Often times people think curing an ailment is done through a once off miracle treatment. I like to believe that most health issues we have is attached to a bigger problem that we can relate to other symptoms that we are experiencing as well. Through taking an holistic look at how we treat anything we're dealing with our whole lives, not just the things pertaining to our troubles.


This has been true for my anxiety. I do not treat it as an isolated problem, but rather as one to be looked at with everything else my body is experiencing. I notice the effect that eating food that I am allergic to, not eating dead animals, sleeping enough, exercise, etc. have on my mood. Just as they have an effect on my menstrual cycle and my skin. When I am being well disciplined in how I deal with these, my body rewards me for it. Being healthy is not a once off thing. Getting treated for an illness and then returning to the behavior that caused it is illogical. Taking care of your body should be an everyday thing, it should be a lifestyle.

Here are the practices I have adopted into my daily life to help deal with and ease my anxiety:

Eating A Plant Based Diet

This is more of a lifestyle than a simple practice but this is what I believe has made the biggest difference in how well I deal with anxiety. Food is our bodies' fuel and just like any other vessel, the quality of fuel used directly influences its performance.

Eating a plant based diet alone will not cure your anxiety but it can ease your symptoms. Out of all the benefits I have experienced from eating plant based, my mental health was the most noticeable one. I know this because my family and friends had noticed as well.

Personally I believe eating animals can cause depression and anxiety because that is the state of mind these animals were in their entire lives and when they die that remains in their flesh. I know that probably will not fly for most people so lets get down to some of the scientific reasons.
Eating animal products and processed foods lead to inflation and is hard for your body to digest which leads to it expending its energy, all of which aggravates depression and anxiety. In contrast when you eat a plant-based diet, you experience a more stabilized mood, less spikes in energy levels, feeling more in control of your thoughts, an increased connection with your body, more comfortable digestion, and more restful sleep.

Weekly Self-Care Ritual

Self-care is about being good to yourself. But more importantly it's about being good to your mental health. Creating a habit out of taking care of yourself builds self-esteem. You come to recognize the difference it makes in your mental well being and just how important you are too. Being selfish sometimes is the healthiest thing you can be. Check out my post on my own self-care ritual and maybe get some inspo for yours.

Breathing Exercises

I have been using breathing exercises for a long time to control my anger. Only recently have I started implementing it into my arsenal against anxiety. It is by far the easiest way I have found to tame my anxious thoughts in a second.

By training yourself to breath through anxiety you change the direction of your conscious thought and you relax your autonomic nervous system. The benefits are instant, it is easy, you can do it anywhere and it is free.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness has been something that frustrated me ever since I learnt about it. I could never get the hang of it. Just this year, however, I finally gave The Power of Now a read and my perspective has forever been changed. Practicing mindfulness is now one of my favorite practices whether it relates to my anxiety or not. Being mindful is a natural high to me. By being aware of my present situation I bring myself out of anxiety causing thoughts. Studies have also shown that a mindfulness-based stress reduction program helped quell anxiety symptoms in people with generalized anxiety disorder.

Daily To Do Lists

Making to do lists have helped me deal with my anxiety because a lot of it is caused by me feeling like I am not doing enough. Keeping track of everything I do through the day is reassuring and seeing how much I have done makes me feel confident. It also helps me remember things and motivates me to be more productive. Ticking things off has become addictive.

I do mine on my phone because I carry it around with me everywhere I go so I never lose track and I can tick things off it as I go along my day.

 Solfeggio Frequencies

Solfeggio frequencies make up the ancient 6-tone scale thought to have been used in sacred music. Each Solfeggio tone is comprised of a frequency required to balance your energy and keep your body, mind and spirit in perfect harmony.

I have an app called SolfeggioFrequencies and I put on the tones that resonate with what I need to help with at that moment. They make me feel such a natural high and lately I have become addicted to them. They literally change the entire vibe in any room that you put it in. I know it is unorthodox but give it a try.

These are the practices I have put into place into my life which have helped me deal with my anxiety. They are things which I try and stay consistent with. Do not beat yourself up if you are not perfect at it though, that defeats the whole purpose. The point is to treat your body and psyche with love and care. These are things I do for the betterment of myself, not more things I have given myself to feel more anxious about.