Every day I see more and more people being prescribed medication to help relieve them of some form of illness, chronic pain, stress, anxiety and the list goes on. As someone who has suffered with anxiety and tried the medication route with 3 failed attempts I decided to ditch all of it and go straight to the root of the issue…naturally! I figured out that I DON’T have this anxiety…I create this anxiety and anxiety doesn’t exist unless we give it life. Anxiety and stress is often created by living in the future or past rather than living in the now. So what did I do? I started living in the now. As easy as it is for us to think negative and worry about things that generally aren’t of importance really, it’s just as easy to think positive so why not switch it up 😉 I applied this to some of the tips I have listed below and i have never felt so free in my life.
Here are a few things that you can do to relieve stress and anxiety naturally and effectively.
- DRINK WATER. You are probably thinking “water?” but i cannot say it enough…water, water, WATER! Stress can cause dehydration and dehydration is known to increase stress hormones in our body. Both stress and dehydration can cause anxiety as well so it is crucial that we fuel up on that liquid gold!
- Pranayama. A Yogis go to. “Prana” means life force or vital energy (breath) and “Yama” meaning to control, lengthen or extend. Pranayama simply means breath control.
How to:
1.Sitting with your back straight apply your right thumb to your right nostril (solar passage) while inhaling into your left nostril (lunar passage).
2.Then you will release your right thumb while applying your right middle and ring finger to the left nostril, exhaling through your right nostril.
3. After exhaling you will Inhale back into the right nostril then release your fingers from your left nostril and apply your thumb back on your right nostril exhaling through the left nostril.
4. After exhaling you will Inhale back into the left nostril and repeat step 2.
Repeat these steps for about 1 minute while keeping a comfortable steady breath. Doing this exercise should promote peace of mind, energy and relaxation and should be done in the morning.
If this Pranayama exercise isn’t for you, Just sit in a easy pose with your spine nice and lengthened while taking a few deep comfortable breaths. remember to smile 🙂 envision a beautiful light gliding through your body and allow yourself to accept this powerful positive energy.
- Yoga. This can be done with Pranayama as well. Yoga is much like laughter..it heals all. Take some time to slow it down and become aware of self. This practice is beneficial for the mind body and soul (physically & mentally).
- Meditate. A lot of people say they don’t know how to meditate, but the truth is that there is no right or wrong way. All it takes is 5 minutes out of your day to just sit in peace and clear your mind. Don’t know how to clear your mind? How do you think of…nothing? A little trick my mother had taught me was to turn on a distraction (dripping faucet, listen to nature, focus on a candle flame..etc) Or simply allow positive thoughts to flow, take slow comfortable deep breaths, smile and tell yourself that today WILL be an amazing day filled with joy, laughter, family and friends. Breathe in positivity and breathe out your worries, really allow yourself to let go of all your worries and troubles inviting your positive thoughts to take their place. You can completely change the way you feel and how your day turns out just by practicing meditation. Some people don’t understand that to be in a healthy state you must exercise the mind as well. Meditation is a great way to exercise and stimulate the brain.
- Maca root powder is a gift from mother nature. It is known to help with stress, anxiety, depression and menopause. The taste of Maca is quite different, I will wan you that it is definitely for acquired taste but don’t worry! I will give you a few ways to mask the taste and actually enjoy it.
1. Mix a tablespoon of organic Maca root powder with a plain yogurt and drizzle some honey and granola or hemp seeds on top (My favourite)
2. Add it to a smoothie. Not only will it taste amazing but smoothies make our day so much better 😉
3. Take it in a capsule form.
There are endless possibilities even one as simple as mixing with a spoon of honey. The choice is yours.
I’m Positive that one of these natural alternatives will help you like they help me.