It is a new year, and I am taking a different approach to well-being this year. As the “diet” vs. “antidiet” war rages on social media as it relates to nutrition and wellness, telling what you should do vs. what you should not do….. I don’t know about you but I do not have the energy for that nor do most of the clients I work from.
The past two years globally have been a lot for many people to mitigate. Chronic Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and other mental health issues have impacted so many people trying to cope with the constant change and uncertainty. I hear consistently from my clients, and within the work, I do in the Mental Health Field that people this year are feeling extremely burnout out emotionally, mentally, and physically. There just feels like there are “no F@cks left to give” about anything.
Therefore, I feel like the deeper more holistic approach to address this 2022 new year, is providing information and resources that can be useful in those managing stress and feeling of anxiety.
Below are 4 simple practices to manage stress and anxiety levels that can help to calm the nervous system, and 4 Nutrients to support the body’s ability to respond to feelings of stress and anxiety. As Always, we are all unique, what works for one person may not have the same impact on another so lean into what resonates for you moving forward.
4 Practices to manage stress & anxiety levels to calm the nervous system
1. Mindful Breathing
One of the simplest, yet most effective things we can do at times of high emotional response is to pause and take control of our breathing. As someone who personally used to suffer from panic attacks, I know that in those moments this simple act of Mindful Breathing can feel very hard to manage but it is what can support our ability to come out of that anxiety or panic attack more quickly. Just because we unconsciously breathe each day to stay alive, has no relation to Mindful Breathing.
Mindful Breathing is done with the intention to take control of unpleasant sensations in the body, bring us to a state of peace and relaxation, and consciously lower our stress response in the body. Like any other new skill, it takes consistent and daily practice. Use the Practice above as a starting point and set a timer for 1 minute to start, as you become more comfortable with Mindful Breathing increase the length of time from 1 minute to 5 minutes a day or simply use this wellness tool whenever you are experience feeling of stress or anxiety.
2. Joyful Movement
If we are friends on Social Media and/or you have joined me for 1:1 coaching or in one of my group online programs then you have heard me mention “Joyful Movement”. What do I mean by Joyful Movement? Simply put Joyful movement is an approach to moving our body that moves away from the need to change the way our body physically looks and emphasizes finding pleasure in the way we move our bodies for mental, physical, and emotional well-being. There are so many benefits to moving our body for our mood, energy, digestion, sleep, hormones, etc that have nothing to do with weight loss. It is really about shifting the mindset from “ugh I have to exercise cause I ate donuts yesterday (restriction & toxic diet culture) to “I am moving my body today because I feel ….( so good, have less gas, sleep better, it helps me manage my stress, reduces chronic pain), etc. You incorporate movement that makes YOU feel your best and this is unique to everyone. So explore new activities, open yourself up to exploring new ways to move your body, and then ask yourself “how does this make me feel?”
3.
Media, both “traditional media” (news, radio, advertisements) and “social media” can be informative and entertaining but they also can be toxic and extra stress onto our already full plates. This can be hard to manage and pull ourselves away from when we know we need a break, yet taking time to pause and self-reflect to ask ourselves “after I look or watch this piece of media, how do I physically, emotionally, mentally feel?” This is a starting point to check in with yourself to identify if that piece of media makes you feel joyous and informed or stressed out and anxious. Do we have a positive internal narrative or do we hear negative self comparing talk flare-up after scrolling on social media.
The practice here is to increase self-awareness of how your body responds to these things and then adjust accordingly. That can mean taking breaks, unfollowing pages that do not make you feel good, don’t watch the news every day, be very mindful of what you look at before bed. Again whatever YOUR body needs, listen and then act.
4.
Ice bathing or Cold Water Therapy has taken off here in North America as a popular wellness practice, however, this is not something new. “Cryotherapies” including ice, cold water, and cold air have been popularised by an ability to remove heat, reduce core and tissue temperatures, address inflammation, and alter blood flow in humans for centuries.
PubMed research has only begun to really look at research in this therapy, and mainly in the focus of exercise recovery and recognize there is more research to do. I have attached some Pudmed Articles for your review, and if you are interested in learning more speak to your Naturopathic or General Practitioner Doctor about it.
Interleukin-6 responses to water immersion therapy after acute exercise heat stress: a pilot investigation
The effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammation and cell stress responses in human skeletal muscle after resistance exercise
Cold for centuries: a brief history of cryotherapies to improve health, injury, and post-exercise recovery
4 Nutrients to support the body's ability to respond to stress & anxiety.
1.
If you are interested in incorporating some of the nutrients into your day here are some recipes to have fun with. You can also search by ingredient in the search bar in the top right-hand corner of the website and filter through all the recipes by individual ingredient.
2.
If you are interested in incorporating some of the nutrients into your day here are some recipes to have fun with. You can also search by ingredient in the search bar in the top right-hand corner of the website and filter through all the recipes by individual ingredient.
3.
If you are interested in incorporating some of the nutrients into your day here are some recipes to have fun with. You can also search by ingredient in the search bar in the top right-hand corner of the website and filter through all the recipes by individual ingredient.
4.
If you are interested in incorporating some of the nutrients into your day here are some recipes to have fun with. You can also search by ingredient in the search bar in the top right-hand corner of the website and filter through all the recipes by individual ingredient.
I truly hope that these 4 Practices and 4 Nutrients are useful to you in supporting your body in times of stress and anxiety. If one is useful and resonates with you, I would love to hear from you so feel free to leave me a comment below or if you are wanting to work 1:1 together on developing a customized program to address your stress and feelings of anxiety please send me an email through the contact page.
You can also learn more in my other articles,
- Stressed Out? 8 Ways to Help you Reduce Stress
- 10 Mindful Habits to change Your Life
- SelfCare 101: How to Incorporate it Daily
In great health,
Joanna Brown, BCR, R.P., C.H.N.C, N.W.L.C, Certified Raw Food Chef, Certified Meditation Teacher, & Accredited Professional Life Coach & CBT Practitioner.