Can’t seem to reduce your stress or calm those anxious feelings? Top changes to make your day brighter and calmer!
If you suffer from anxious feelings you are not alone. Increased stress is one of the most common unhealthy emotions we have in our society today. It doesn’t discriminate either – Young, old, male, or female it is coming for you!
Feeling some stress periodically is normal and a healthy response but when your body stays in a constant state of stress it can cause mood disturbances and inflammation in the body. When the body has to fight that inflammation without rest your immune system begins to become compromised. Then you begin to get sick – more stress, miss work or school – oh no, even more stress – not great for the body.
If you have been reading our blog you know we are all about natural solutions. Hopefully, some of these tips will help you and your family as much as it has helped ours:
Let’s start with the mind – yes, what you think and how you speak to yourself and those around us really matters – it is not only what you feed your body (which we will get to in a moment) but what you feed your mind as well. Listen, we were not created to be afraid and the bottom line is anxiety and worry are in most cases forms of fear and guilt. These emotions are not action emotions – in other words, they will not change anything for the good –
Meditate on God’s word – some of our favorites – 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of Power and of Love”. Think about it when you have power and you use that power in a loving way what do you need to worry about? What do you need to fear? The Holy Spirit is God living in us – Powerful, loving, teaching, and guiding us. Isiah 31:14 “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you do not fear; I will help you”. When you feel anxious and afraid know that your Father in heaven wants to help – He does not want us to carry those burdens. This does not mean we will not have trials or suffer even when we are innocent – but know that is not of God. Use your power and trust in Him and let go!
While you meditate you also want to do some aromatherapy – Breathing in those beautiful essential oils will relax the body – the body understands how to respond to its natural environment – we tend to put smells that it does not recognize in its path and once again add stress to the body. Our favorite calming oils – Tangerine – considered the oil of cheer and creativity, Sandalwood –this is a centering oil and Ginger – oil of empowerment (not being a victim in your story) – and best of all the doTerra blends – designed specifically for calming – Peace – this has truly helped our son at work – he has a stressful position but needs to maintain his cool – this oil has worked wonders for him, The new oil that was just introduced is a new favorite already Adaptiv! A couple of ways to use – diffuse, put in a diffuser necklace, or put one drop in the palm of your hand rub your hands together and smell – you can also place a drop on the back of your neck.
Foods to avoid or limit: Coffee or caffeinated products – Caffeine can make you nervous and jumpy – it also blocks the body’s ability to absorb Vitamin D and B. Both of which are known to help balance mood.
Processed foods – well these should be avoided anyway but if you have anxiety it is even more important – the body can not recognize processed foods so it will attack itself – creating inflammation. Add in more fresh fruits and vegetables – your body will thank you!
Products high in Soy – like Tofu. Soy toys with our hormonal balance. If you want lean protein and want to stay away from meat try beans and quinoa.
Last but not least… juices high in fructose! When you drink processed juices you give your body a shot of adrenalin and if your stress levels are already high this could lead to a form of a panic attack. Water is your best friend – it keeps you hydrated. You can always add your Tangerine oil (or any citrus) to your water for extra flavor.
Hoping this provides some ideas for better stress management! Hears to your Health!