8 Tips to Manage Anxiety
If you’re anything like an estimated 28 million U.S. citizens, then it may seem as though anxiety is running the show of your daily existence, and dammit, you’ve had it up to here. Knowing that you’re not alone is helpful, but it also doesn’t encourage those nervous little demons to graciously dismiss themselves.
Let’s start by going down the checklist. Are you experiencing: shortness of breath? A racing heart? A racing mind? Tension in the body? Trouble sleeping? Lots and lots of thoughts about the future? Yup, we feel you. We've been there. And that’s why we can help.
The challenging part of all of this is that anxiety doesn’t necessarily just go away, but we can develop lifestyle techniques and tools to smooth the edges of the mental chaos. When we suffer the ups and downs of severe or even situational anxiety, it is helpful to develop a series of approaches to ease the restless mind, and we are honored to pass some lessons along to you that we feel will be useful.
In order to shift, it helps to narrow down the causes of anxiety in order to notice what effect that some of your life choices have on your mind. Here is what we recommend.
Breathe Through the Anxiety
Make Sure You’re Eating the Right Foods
As with breathing, the physical affects the emotional, and what we put into our bodies can make or break our spirits at any given moment. Seriously, make sure you’re getting your greens, and all the proper nutrients and vitamins. But feeling rushed to cook up a balanced meal during busy days might simply add to your anxiety, so try BōKU Super Food OG in a shake, juice or water; it has 11 different greens, from both land and sea, plus tons of sprouts and functional mushrooms. The Hippocrates Health Institute points out that “there is more nutrition in one tablespoon of BōKU Super Food than the average person will consume in several days.” Feed these essential nutrients to your body daily, and see what happens.
Drink Water
Do not underestimate the importance of good ol' h2o. We are made of water, and depleting ourselves of this vital resource may put our system into survival mode, and you will feel the sense that you're lacking something essential. This, of course, can cause anxiety. Water is also key in flushing out some of the toxins that are emotionally affecting us, and the alkalinity and purity of it really just amps up your vibration. Make sure you start your day with a big glass of water. And if you add lemon, you alkalize your body.
We are currently selling Soji Elixir water bottles in store, just to boost up the vibration of water even more!
Recognize the Causes of Your Anxiety
Anxiety is often misinterpreted as a mental condition when really, there might just be something going on in life that seems to be overloading you with too much stimulation - data overload is very real in the age of technology. Assess by tuning into those places in your life that immediately create tension in your body, and see how you can shift the situation so that it's more supportive to your well-being. If you can't change the situation, add something else to your life that brings you deep peace so that you start to come into balance. One of the main causes of anxiety these days is staring at screens (cell phones, computers, TVs...). It's a very common practice - and extraordinarily overstimulating. See where you can cut down (read a book & chill instead of Netflix and chill!).
Develop a Self-Care Routine
This one is key, because when you take care of you, it sends the following, powerful message to your body: “I love you; I care about you!” For example, you could develop a self-care practice that involves your favorite guided meditation followed by a nice, hot bath. We’ve been using our Superfood Soaps, and oh my God. We guarantee that by the time you’re done, you will feel like your entire being has been cleansed, your skin will literally feel silky, and you will smell practically edible. The Ojai Lavender soap is especially helpful to the nervous system - lavender is known for its aromatherapeutic quality of bringing about a profound sense of calm. Also, these natural soaps contain a cornucopia of nutrients from superfood powders, which absorb easily into the skin and nourish you.
Review Your Habits of Consumption
When we say “consumption,” we are referring to all of the mental material you consume daily, hourly, moment-to-moment: the T.V. shows you binge on, the social media that engrosses you, the amount of time you spend listening to crappy music because it’s what’s on the radio. Notice in your body how it feels after staring at a screen full of fast-paced violence - and perhaps opt for a self-empowerment book next time, or a nature documentary. Notice the massive difference.
Remember - Coffee Causes Anxiety!
A Chinese herbalist recently mentioned that when we drink coffee, our adrenal system immediately interprets it as a carcinogen and kicks into high-gear - into fight-or-flight mode. That’s why cffee gives us that glorious adrenaline boost, but it’s also why we can get super anxious a little later on. Try Super Fuel instead - the maca root in it provides the body with stamina and vitality to sustain you throughout the day, and the adaptogenic mushrooms keep your adrenal system in check. You also won’t crash from drinking it
Say Thank You
“Your mantra is thank you. Just keep saying thank you. Don't explain. Don't complain. Just say thank you. Say thank you to existence.” - Mooji
When we align ourselves with the energy of thanks, we begin to feel immense gratitude for our miraculous human lives, and a deep, unshakable joy. How can anxiety hold up to the feeling of pure gratitude?
Making sure your your anxiety stays lowkey is really is about nurturing yourself from the inside out, as well as the outside in. While it is challenging at times to handle stress, it really doesn’t have to take over your entire life, and now you have some powerful tools to help you on your journey towards inner peace and calm.
Now, take a deep breath. Ahh.