Tag Archives: stress management

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12 Ways to Deflate Anxiety Naturally

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Anxiety and depression are not a fun topic to talk about but many of us struggle with symptoms of these every day. Whether it comes from unexpected, extreme circumstances that come into our lives, clinically, or from being over-stressed with our everyday lives it can get in the way of what we want to obtain out of life. Anxiety and depression can leave us feeling exhausted and unmotivated and not so sunny. It can be a real struggle just to have a normal day. I used to think that the only way to get rid of it was to go see a doctor and get medication – I think in the past many of us were conditioned that this was the only way to treat it. That’s not the case though. (*disclaimer – in some cases that may be the best option but it is not the only option. Always speak with your health care provider for the best options for you). This past year was a very stressful year for me. I was faced with many unexpected challenges, changes, and stressors. Earlier this month I shared a little bit in my post The Beginning of My Fight with Fear & Anxiety, about how I had found myself filled with anxiety and how it was making me feel trapped. For the past month, I have been focused on finding myself again and pulling myself back into the light. It has been a month full of positive changes and I am feeling more and more free each day. I have brought many practices back into my life that I had let slide over the crazy summer months and I have added some new routines to my week as well. I feel much stronger today than I did just four weeks ago. I did this, though, by putting myself back into full focus. Self-care is the ultimate tool in all forms.

I had the opportunity to partner with the Superfood Box to bring you some ways to help de-flate anxiety and stress and bring more “No Worries” time into your life.

All opinions are my own. This post was sponsored, which means I received compensation for this post. in form of payment or trade. For more information please reference my disclosure page. 

 

12 Ways to De-Flate Anxiety Naturally

 

1.) Journaling – Writing in a journal has proven many times to be a way to relieve and help process stagnant emotions sitting in our mind. This acts as a great form of therapy. Try and write every day, even if it’s just a few sentences. The more consistent you are, the better you’ll get at letting go and writing what’s stuck in your mind.

2.) Focus on your goals – When I started focusing back on my blogging and the launch of my business I started feeling more confident and more secure in my life again. It helped me feel more purposeful and I was excited about my progress which motivated me to keep at it. I took some time to make a list of what I wanted to accomplish by the end of the year and then set up a plan to reach it. This helped me set benchmarks so that I can see my progress each week as I go, helping me see the positive changes I was making each week.

3.) Eat well – When you fuel your body well you’ll have more energy to take on the world. Some foods have shown in studies to have properties to help lessen anxiety and improve stress management such as black walnuts, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds. The black walnuts and the sesame and pumpkin seed Crunch bar I received in my No Worries Box were the perfect snacks to have at my desk on a busy, stressful day. Black walnuts contain a great amount of serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid which acts as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that is critical for relaxation and helps regulate mood. By munching on these healthy treats, I noticed how much calmer I felt in handling the challenges of the day. I also received a Reishi Mushroom Elixer that has been used to treat anxiety. This was a great drink to sip on during my busy afternoons flavored with star anise, licorice and stevia.

4.) Meditate – Practicing meditation every day is a great way to clear your mind and to relax. I find it helpful to start each day with a quick meditation and then end my day with a longer, mindfulness practice. This allows me to focus on letting thoughts flow through rather than dwelling on them circling in my mind.

5.) Exercise – I started working out at least three times a week. This is such a strong stress reliever for me. Not only does it help me strengthen my body but it also helps strengthen my mind. I feel like I have more energy and am more motivated for each day. I joined a personal training program and put a few goals, like running a half marathon in April and a 10 miler in June, on the calendar to help hold me accountable. I also find that partnering up with friends has been an amazing way to keep going (and bonus I get that BFF time that I needed too!). My training program routine includes a good mix of running, weight training, and Yoga. This gives me a good all around work out routine and keeps it interesting for me.

6.) Soul Strengthening Daily Affirmations – It may seem like these are just words at first but reciting daily affirmations help you reshape your thoughts and your mind to see the world and yourself in a more positive light. If you retrain your mind to believe that you are strong, then you will be strong. I surround myself with daily affirmations and inspirational quotes. I post them on my wall behind my bed so I see them every morning, I stick post-it notes on my mirror in my bathroom, I receive #truthbombs from Danielle LaPorte in my inbox every day, and I post inspirational messages on my screensaver on my computer. Maybe it’s my love language being my ‘words of affirmation’ but I can’t get enough of them.

7.) Get enough sleep – This I struggle with a bit. I have quite a racing mind, filled with thoughts from the day, over-analyzing every situation of the day, and lots of ideas for new creations flowing in. I made it a focus to work on shutting it down so that I can get better rest. Without good rest, my emotions can seem heightened and I can find it hard to manage stress throughout the day. I have been setting my bed time earlier and scheduling in wind down time before. This gives me time to slow down for the night. The Yogi Kava Kava Tea I received in my No Worries Box has been a great addition to my routine to help me relax. Kava is an herb that has shown in studies to be amazing at reducing anxiety. This blend of tea includes kava, cinnamon, carob, sarsaparilla, ginger, cardamom and stevia making it a wonderful treat for the evening.

8.) Find a hobby to love – For me this is painting. I have always loved painting but I’ve been working on making more time for it. I can escape from the world when I paint. It gives me time to just be me and to recharge. The more I let go in this process, the more free I feel and the more beautiful my art is when I emerge.

9.) Natural Supplements – I’ve used melatonin to aid in sleep but many of these were new to me. In my No Worries Box I received two particular supplements to try – Passionflower and St John’s Wort. I loved the idea of using natural supplements verses medications so I gave them a try with the okay from my medical provider (*Always check with your medical provider before trying supplements). Studies have shown that Passionflower helps to improve sleep quality and in managing stress and anxiety. St John’s Wort has been shown to act as a natural anti-depressant.

10.) Talk it out with your BFFs – Sometimes a good night out with my pals is the perfect way to blow off some steam. I’m known to hermit up when I get stressed and bogged down in life but that can leave me feeling isolated sometimes so I’ve been working on planning more activities to get out and do with my friends, spending some down time with them to vent out what’s on my mind, soaking in some of their positive words and advice. Whether it’s taking a power walk on the rail trail, enjoying a glass of wine over dinner, or joining in on a local ghost stories walk in town I’ve been making sure to get some time on my calendar each week for some quality friendship time.

11.) Make time for more mindfulness and gratitude in your day – I’ve added to my routine some mindfulness time each day. I sit down with a cup of Ashwagandha tea from the No Worries Box and take some deep breaths and just listen, look and observe and think of what I am grateful for having in my life. These simple moments have provided me space and time to “just be”, this is my “no worries” time that I reserve for myself each day.

12.) Counseling – I find this a safe place for me to go to for help organizing my thoughts. I am also discovering a lot about myself through this process. I am able to approach my thoughts from an intellectual and creative stand point without judgement which helps me see them in a new way, in a clearer way. Starting counseling can be scary at first, going to talk about your innermost feelings and thoughts with someone you don’t know. I set my expectations up front of what I wanted to obtain in my sessions and that I wanted to complete therapy without medications. This set the standard for my treatment and helped me feel more comfortable.

 

 The No Worries Box from Superfood Box included many wonderful items that helped boost my self-care routine to help me manage the stress and the anxiety I was feeling. I really enjoyed working with this company. I could sense the compassion for the world and the love that they have for what they do. Superfood Box offers several different types of boxes for you to choose from. I am looking forward to trying all they have to offer. The value of the items you receive is spectacular and the pricing is very reasonable. They also offer the opportunity to order tropical fruit which is shipped using Fenugreen’s Patented Freshpaper infused with naturally antimicrobial and anti-fungal spices like Fenugreek that kept my fruit fresh during shipment. They have a great variety to choose from like rambutans (one of my favorites!), passion fruit, pomegranates, persimmons and many more. Something else I loved about my box is that they included a great document in my shipment that explained all the things I received so that I felt educated in trying my new products.

Check out some of their other boxes:

Inflammation Fighter Box

Workout Fuel and Recovery Box

Skin Health Box

Stay in the loop with healthy tips and specials with Superfood Box on social media too:

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The Beginning of My Fight with Fear & Anxiety

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This is one of those raw, emotional and disclosing posts…

I am in a tough spot right now in my life. This may come to a surprise to some and some know I’ve been hurting. This past year has been particularly hard on me. I’m left feeling burnt out and drained emotionally. I had become depleted. So much has happened in this past year, both highs and lows, but leaving me feeling like a tornado has torn through my life setting all kinds of things out of order. I write about staying positive and pushing on and I hold those values high in my mind and in my heart but tonight I come to you to tell you that it’s okay to be in a rough spot in your life, it’s okay to not know what to do. I find that I am struggling to ask for what I need and I’m just trying to figure it out as I go along. I know the actions to take to move forward and I know things will get better and I truly believe that at the core of my heart, even when my doubts are circling in my head. Some days I’m feeling strong and am more hopeful than others and some days I feel like I’m just going through the motions. This is part of my journey, this is part of my discovery. I push on trying to believe that there is something better ahead and that all things have a purpose and a lesson. When I started writing this post I paused in fear. I paused because I worried that sharing this would destroy the image of who I am at my core. Fear. Fear is what holds us back from so many things. So I made the choice to not let fear hold me back tonight from sharing even the darkest part of me. There are many little parts that make us into who we are, don’t judge yourself on one. If we didn’t have struggles, then we couldn’t find strength. Pain is part of humanity, part of life.

My life has had many ups and downs this year and they have all caught up to me. We spend our entire lives trying to prepare for anything that could happen but in truth we’re never really prepared for everything that can come to us. When something new comes into our lives it can create all kinds of new feelings and emotions and thoughts and it can leave you feeling spiraled and overwhelmed, especially when it’s several new things all at once. For me I had several doors closing and many more opening at the same time. I found myself in a spot confused and some days I wasn’t sure if I needed to go forward or go backwards. I found myself filling with anxiety and the anxiety was winning, it was taking over. For months I kept telling myself it was just the chaos I was stuck in and that it would clear away when things calmed down, when hard times past but it held tight to me, to my heart and to my soul. I started feeling lost, not like myself anymore. I became overly self-critical taking my self-awareness to another level. The trait that I had always considered my strongest was becoming my nemesis. I found myself worrying about everything down to every second of the day. I told myself every night that it would pass and tomorrow would be better but instead I woke up in the morning completely drowned in feelings and tight knots in my chest. I found it hard to declare the feelings I was having but it came to a point where I wasn’t living my life anymore, not the way I wanted to, not as the person that I truly am. I was being masked by stress, by the anxiety. My pride had gotten in the way of getting the help I needed, of helping myself. I’d like to say that I was one of those people that just isolated herself but instead I started pushing people away and creating craziness where there was none before. I started doubting everything around me, including myself. The security I had spent so long building around me and within myself I was crumbling to pieces.

Recognizing this and admitting that I was falling to myself was my first step to recovery. The next step was to admit it to the people I love. This was the hardest for me. I was the friend, the daughter, the mother, that always stayed positive through everything and could find a smile in every day. I was the one that always saw the silver lining. I felt like a fraud. I felt like I was failing in my role. But I believe in honesty and I believe in no charades so as hard as it was I pushed myself to open up. What I found is that we’ve all felt pain, we’ve all needed help and they told me it was okay to hurt and they are telling me that it’s going to get better. 

I may still be hurting but I am making the choice to get better, that I have control of. No matter what is ahead of me or who’s going to be there on the other side, I am making an absolute choice that I don’t have the choice to not get better and that is an example of my character. I am telling myself that I’m going to come out of this a better person and a stronger woman. I’m learning through all of this that it is okay to be vulnerable. It’s okay to be scared, it’s okay to hurt and you don’t have to be embarrassed for having a hard time. It’s okay to not have everything together all of the time.  

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How To Plan A Healthy Schedule When You’re Super Busy

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It’s no secret that I’ve been really hammering down and trying to build a simpler life…I always manage to have a lot on my plate though and that seems to be how it’s going to be for a bit yet…but I am working on organizing my life so that I can complete more tasks efficiently, add more mindfulness into my days, and focus on my main priorities first.

I’ve been de-cluttering like crazy (you can check out my Closet Clean Out Post here), working on redefining my blog and blog series to align more with my goals in life and career, and have been focusing on building a routine and more balanced days. It can be a tough gig to balance out a full time job, blog full time, focus on the launching of a boutique, and be a mom on top of everything else that falls into our laps but I’m a very determined gal!

Here’s how I planned out my goal schedule for my work week:

 

I know that I’ll have to be flexible on some days but this helps give me a good guideline to follow. On the weekends I’ll tackle chores, social and family activities and I’ll work additional blog and boutique task time in. Also will tackle classes for my Health/Life Coaching Certification on weekends. I know this all seems like a bit of a hustle but it’s what I need to do to reach my goals! If I learn to manage my time well and make the most out of it, focus on continuing to move forward, and make sure each day includes healthy habits and self-care routines then I know I’ll land on top <3

8 Key Tips To Remember When Building Your Schedule:

1.) Allow yourself some flexibility. Don’t beat yourself up if you have to move things around some to fit what’s come up for the week.

2.) Hold yourself accountable. Even if you have to move some things around, the key is to move them, not delete priorities altogether.

3.) Get rid of tasks and to-do’s that aren’t serving value to your goals or your life.

4.) Allow yourself time to rest. If you’re feeling exhausted, make a note of it. What can you adjust to ease up on yourself? I make sure to allow some down time on the weekends for myself to recuperate.

5.) Have activities that are fun or enjoyable in your schedule.

6.) Don’t negate self-care routines. Make sure there is some in each day!

7.) Make sure you are ensuring you have enough sleep. Everyone is a little different in how much sleep they need. Make sure to allow the time you need each night.

8.) Eat healthy. Food is our main source of energy. I just noticed that I don’t have breakfast on my schedule…doesn’t mean I don’t ever eat breakfast, I usually have a breakfast sandwich and cappuccino or a fruit smoothie once I get to the office while I go through my emails

Here are some other helpful posts to help you on your journey:

Here’s what a weekend looks like for me: A Day in My Life – Weekend Tasks & Bliss – Balancing Chores, Self-Care and Fun All In One Day

Creating a to-do list that you can manage –  How To Build A Better To-Do List

Tips to keep stress under control – Top Tips For Managing Stress From Wellness Bloggers With Stress Experience

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How to Manage Stress, Top Tips from Wellness Bloggers

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Life can be tough. It can be challenging, busy, and stressful. Sometimes stress is unavoidable. But becoming over-stressed can hurt our health, state of mind, and our happiness. It’s important to make it a priority to help keep stress at bay no matter how hectic things get. I reached out to my community of Wellness Bloggers for their expertise on how to keep stress under control so that you can keep the joy high in your life and keep on managing every day beautifully and strong.

Julie Voss

www.hellopeacefulmind.com

Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest – Instagram – BlogLovin

Julie was diagnosed with anxiety and depression during the summer of 2016 and has since helped hundreds of people fight these mental illnesses and become happier. Read Julie’s inspiring story, “My Journey Into Acknowledging The Depression” on www.hellopeacefulmind.com and find out how you can become happier too!

1.) The first thing to reduce your stress is to find out its source.

I used to start every day with one sentence “I don’t want to go to work.” At the time, I would wake up at 6:30 am, take a quick shower and rush toward the door with a snack in hand to be stuck in traffic for an hour.
No wonder I couldn’t get out of bed. Who is excited to start the day stuck in traffic?

So I realized that I needed to change my morning routine. Starting the day in such a negative and stressful note was transforming the whole week into a nightmare.

Now, I wake up at 7 am to do things that I love like working on Hello Peaceful Mind. I am no longer rushing out for work. I take the time to enjoy my morning by sitting down for breakfast and then I get ready to go to work.
By the time I leave the house there’s no more traffic and when I get home at night it only takes me 20 minutes!
I have to tell you that since I changed my schedule to avoid traffic (which was my main source of stress) I am so much happier!

So what is stressing you out and how can you change that?

2.) Break down your goals into smaller tasks.

Stress can come from many different reasons. For me, it’s usually because I have too many projects on my plate and I overwhelm myself.What happens is that I think about everything that needs to be done and get overwhelmed. So I don’t do anything. Then I stress about it and I am even less likely to work on it. Do you know this feeling?

Basically I get stuck in this vicious cycle.

But I decided to break this cycle and started writing down my goals and big projects. Then I break it down into smaller tasks. And every day, I add only 3 of these tasks into my to do list. This way I am no longer overwhelmed and I feel good every time I cross something off the list!

You should give it a try and let me know how you feel!

Laura Brassie

www.ivoryandpine.com

Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest – Instagram – BlogLovin

Laura is a mental health therapist who works full-time in a hospital with patients in crisis. She launched the blog Ivory & Pine in September 2016, which focuses on intentional living, self care, and mental health. She loves spending time with friends, lots of coffee, hiking in the mountains, exploring new music, and helping others grow their own intentional life. She lives in Colorado.

1.) Build self-care into your busy day.

You don’t have to get a massage once a week or practice yoga for 3 hours a day, although more power to you if you can. Download podcasts so that you can listen to words of encouragement and learn something new during your commute. Get an essential oil diffuser and switch out scent combinations to help get you energized in the morning and relaxed at night. Do your best to meal prep the night before… it seriously feels so nice to be hungry and have a healthy meal right there, ready for you. Make your bed in the morning.

Sometimes, it’s the little things that help you feel like you are proactive about having a good day, rather than reacting to circumstances.

2.) Take a retreat.

I love the idea of periodic retreats.

If you can, take an hour a week, a day a month, and a weekend a year to totally disconnect from electronics, get away from the daily grind, and push that reset button on your soul.

Use this dedicated time to journal, meditate, pray, exercise, be out in nature… whatever helps you de-stress! It’s important to ask yourself tough questions during this time and answer them thoughtfully… increasing self-awareness is important.

You can do this retreat by yourself, with a partner, or a couple friends, but I would leave the group quite small. We can practice these things at home of course, and we should…. but distractions still come up constantly. I really value nature, and so I try to take my retreats out on trails or in the mountains. I always come back with a greater sense of peace.

Jessica Bignell

www.moderndaygirlblog.com

Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest – Instagram

Jess is a mental health blogger devoted to helping improve the lives of anxiety sufferers. She shares tips, help and advice for those struggling, so that they can live a better life. Anxiety can be controlled, rather than it controlling you.

1.) Look for the signs. 

Dealing with stress can be difficult. I find that sometimes I’m much more stressed than I might realize, and that my body is actually telling me more than I realize.

If this sounds like you, I would definitely pay more attention to what your body is telling you. It could be the little things like shaky hands, headaches, chest pains or back pain. Maybe you’re not sleeping well, or sleeping too much. If you can catch the stress early, you can work on how to make it better. For anxiety sufferers, it’s very easy to ignore the signs and thinking that you’re okay when you’re not.

As Julie mentioned, once you’ve figured out what is causing you extra stress, you can work on improving your situation.

2.) I find that writing can often be the best therapy for stress and anxiety.

You don’t even need to be a blogger to benefit from the therapeutic qualities writing has.

Quite a few of my friends suffer from anxiety and I always recommend writing as a way of releasing whatever is bothering them. I advise them to start with whatever is bothering them first (as sometimes you don’t always have someone to talk to). It doesn’t even to make a whole lot of sense, just getting it from inside the mind and onto paper helps relieve strain.

So the next time you’re feeling a little anxious, write about it, put pen to paper and write about how you’re feeling. What caused it? Is your stress and anxiety as a result of a situation you can work on? Do you need help from anyone else?

Get it written down.

Laura Romberger

www.dofivethingsaday.com

Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest – Instagram – BlogLovin

Laura is a big dreamer, full time marketing manager, blogger, and part-time artist. She brings an eclectic mix of excitement, passion, and a story to tell of self-discovery, development, and love.

1.) Make sure you are well rested and getting enough sleep.

When we are overtired we aren’t as capable to manage emotions and stress. Being well rested will help you stay calmer and able to process situations better before reacting to them. I always find that I’m less stressed when I’m not so tired! 

2.) Set Boundaries.

Make sure you only take on what you can really handle. Steer clear of negativity. Take time for yourself.

I am a sensitive person and I naturally suck in everything around me. I need to make sure that I am setting limits on the amount of negativity I consume and I need to ensure I have time set for “me time” so I can recharge. 

Boundaries are important to keep you balanced.

Stress is a part of life but you can choose to not let it control you. We all have those days, don’t beat yourself up for it. When in doubt, reach out to your tribe, your close friends. Look for inspiration in all the RIGHT places. It’ll get you back on track.

You got this!