Mind, Body, and Soul Practices for Anxiety
Ahhhh, the A word…
We’ve all dealt with anxiety in some way or another. The severity obviously varies for everyone, but it’s safe to say that it’s something all living and breathing beings can relate to on some level.
In times of anxiety, our body does some pretty cool shit to keep us safe. We all have our own personal triggers, but when they’re experienced, our physical bodies respond with protection. We immediately go into a state of fight or flight, which manifests physically, no matter if we’re running from an ax murderer or if we make a dumb comment at work. Our breathing becomes shallow, our hearts race rapidly, our muscles tighten and we go into reactive mode. adrenaline starts pumping and yells to all of the major organs to save energy. Think of it like putting your phone on do not disturb when it’s dying because it’s 1 am and you’ll eventually need it to call an Uber. This affects every bodily system in some form, HENCE the connection…
But tough days happen, sometimes even tough weeks. Know that it’s normal and you’ll be back to feeling your best soon. Just remember, mental health = physical health = emotional health, which is why all three must be addressed using the tools and practices that work for you. These practices can be as simple or complex as you’d like, as long as they’re sustainable and make you feel your best.
But if you need some ideas to get you started, try out some of the below. For an added bonus, they’re all free!
Practices for the mind:
Be proactive! Build your own toolbox filled with rituals and practices that keep you grounded, and tap into these on a daily basis.
Check in with yourself - often. I mean like every hour often. Maybe set an alarm on your phone to remind you, and notice how you feel. Ask yourself questions such as, “how do I feel in this moment?”, “what are my thoughts?”. “are these thoughts even true?”.
Feel yo feelz! Allow yourself to feel your emotions as they arise, rather than keeping them trapped in your body. Because sooner or later, these feelings will manifest physically. So feel them out, then let that shit go.
Engage in breathing exercises and other various grounding techniques throughout the day. This activates the rational part of the brain to promote clarity.
Practices for the body:
Use your senses. This is such an easy way to get out of the mind and back into the body. Notice what you see, taste, touch, smell, or hear.
Get moving! Try out any form of physical activity that is enjoyable and feels good in your body. This can be a sweaty workout, or a walk around your apartment. Any movement counts.
Check in with your breath. Notice if it’s short and shallow, this is a signal of stress and worry. Bring the body back to neutral through deep breathing exercises.
Food is medicine, so take advantage. Try to eat more complex carbs and foods with a variety of vitamins, minerals, and of course probiotics. Because when the gut is happy, every other bodily system will be too.
PRACTICES FOR THE SOUL:
Build self awareness. Truly the number one cure for pretty much everything in life. Begin to understand your personal triggers and notice the times when they most frequently occur. You may not be able to remove these triggers from your life, but having that awareness is huge for the next time they show up.
Allow time throughout the day for short re-centering practices. Again, put it in your calendar or set an alarm if you think you’ll forget. This can literally be a 30 second meditation or breathing exercise, a quick brain dump in your journal, or a short and restorative yoga flow.
Discover your purpose. If you rolled your eyes at this one, then I’m going to take a guess and say you need it most. Start to understand what brings you the most joy in life, and set aside time for it every single day. This doesn’t mean quit your job and teach yoga full time (well…maybe) but allow your passions to fit into your daily routine.
Self care, duh. As cliche as it sounds, self care is so damn important. Set aside time every single day to engage in some form of self care. However long or short this looks like for you, use this time to tune inward to really get to know and understand yourself on a deeper level. And most importantly but also most uncomfortably, set boundaries. Be sure not to overbook, and stick to your number one priority - yourself.
