How to Beat Anxiety Naturally » Higher Level Living

Anxiety is something that is on the rise in modern day society and it breaks my heart to see so many people silently struggle with it on their own because it can be crippling.

There are many factors that contribute to this rise … social media, comparison, internal pressure to always do more…. Let’s be honest modern day life is busy! We have more on our plates now than ever before and the expectations/pressure we put on ourselves can be excessive.

In this day and age it seems to be more common that someone is struggling with anxiety than not. Which is all the more reason to bring more awareness to some natural ways you can get ahead of it.

This is something I personally have struggled with in my own life so I want to share some tips and habits that have really helped me to get ahead of it. I know how stuck it can make you feel and unfortunately society has programmed us to look for quick fixes, but there are other options other than medication!

I am all about trying to do what you can naturally and holistically on your own before turning to medication. This helps you actually get to the root of the problem and change your life for the long term as opposed to having to just get through it, live with it, or put a bandaid on it.

So here you go! Some of my proven tips and habits to test out in your life if you are struggling with anxiety. I promise they help if you practice them over time.

#1 Make a Perspective Shift

You have to make a perspective shift in order to realize that these anxious feelings are a habit. They are something you have developed over the course of your life. This is not necessarily your fault! Again, society is demanding. The way we are brought up plays a role, but you have to get ahead of it and realize that this is something you learned to do, which means you can learn to undo it. This where I want you to start. Realize this is something you can change.

#2 Change Your Mind

The next thing I want to focus on is your mind. When you are struggling with anxiety it’s because you are so caught up living in the future, that you are thinking ahead to what “could” happen, what “could” go wrong, when in reality, you have no idea if any of those thoughts will ever come to light. So here you are, getting stressed out about something that may never happen. Then, that boils up, it compounds, and it’s a habit! We are trained to look ahead, so we really have to focus on pulling ourselves back to the present moment. When you look at the present moment, you are at peace. And I’m guessing you have worked really hard to get to where you are now. You have accomplished a lot, you have done a lot, so why wouldn’t you appreciate where you are now?! To pull yourself back to the present I recommend meditation. I know if you are someone who is struggling with anxiety, it’s because you are go, go, go, you have a million things on your calendar…so you probably think I’m absolutely obscene for recommending meditation right now 😉

But meditation trains you. It trains your mind to focus on the present, and it’s one of the most impactful ways to get ahead of anxiousness in your life.

#3 Live with an Attitude of Gratitude

Living with an attitude of gratitude might sounds so simple, but it really does help you train your mind to focus on what you already have, as opposed to what you lack. You want to focus on what is going great in your life, where you are now, what you have accomplished already… this will internally fuel you to figure it out as you move forward, without getting caught up in what you don’t have quite yet.

#4 Exercise

Next is exercise. I could go on and on about exercise. It’s a building block for life, for your health, for your mind. It releases endorphins and serotonin. I could do a whole series on exercise! You have to make it a priority to exercise because it does release that stress you are feeling. It’s truly a form of therapy and has been scientifically proven to help with anxiety and depression.

#5 Using a Journal

A journal is a place where you can just unleash emotions and work through those anxious feelings. Whenever you are struggling or having bad anxiety, just start to write. It will trigger things in your mind and allow you to release them.

#6 Natural Supplements

There are so many all natural supplements you can try. I personally swear by Shakeology and Calm. Shakeology is loaded with superfoods, adaptogens, and phytonutrients while calm is a magnesium supplement that helps you calm your nervous system. Both are natural supplements that can really help you if you are really struggling with anxiety.

#7 Cut Back on Caffeine

If you are really struggling with anxiety, you should really try to cut back on caffeine. I know we all love our coffee, but it really makes a difference if you rid your body of caffeine. Caffeine triggers that jittery feeling within you, and if you already have that jittery feeling, it is only going to heighten it. It becomes a vicious cycle… we are so anxious because we feel like we have so much to do, so we turn to caffeine for a boost to to get it all done, but that just heightens your nervous system and makes you all jittery. Caffeine brings you back to an over stimulated state and which can heighten your anxiety. I’m not saying cut it out entirely right away, that would be a shock to your system… and I love my coffee/tea as well! But you can cut back and with time you might find you don’t need it.

Today I swear by half caff coffee and herbal teas.

#8 Have Patience

This next step is a big one. You have to realize that it took you a lifetime to program yourself to be anxious, so it is going to take time to reprogram yourself.

Have self compassion and know that you can do it. And when you have that anxious feeling, as opposed to telling yourself to calm down, calm down -> try to stay on the same frequency in terms of where your energy and your mind is.

Try to tell yourself, “Okay, I’m feeling anxious. I’m feeling jittery. I’m feeling uneasy and restless. Okay, let’s shift this. I’m not anxious, I’m excited about all these great things in my life right now. There are so many opportunities. There is a lot of GOOD stuff going on!” It’s all about shifting that perspective from a negative feeling to a positive one. That perspective shift will help you feel at peace with where you are.

Try these things out and know that you can naturally get ahead of anxiety. These are great things you can start with, but if you want more guidance with these habits, be sure to check out my happiness course. I really help you to strengthen these habits throughout the course. We can also work together one-on-one to dig deep and find the underlying cause of the anxiety in your life because I can relate all too well to that stuck/uneasy feeling and trust me- It’s no way to live. The good thing is, there are ways to get ahead of your anxiety.

Oh and lastly I am hosting a FREE Purposeful Planning Virtual Retreat in January to help you align your goals and habits with what you really want out of life. Sometimes that inner uneasiness is the result of you living out of alignment with your values and true priorities in life. This retreat will help you gain more clarity on what you truly want so you can put that uneasiness to rest. You can register by following the link below. Hope to see you there!

Nicole

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