The Best Supplements for Anxiety
*Taking natural supplements and vitamins has been one of the biggest game changers when it comes to my anxiety. I chose to take these supplements after much research and consulting with my doctor. Please do the same before taking any supplements!*
You wouldn’t think that any regular vitamin you find at your local drug store would have such an impact on your mental health and well being, but I’m here to tell you that it’s true! I’m not a medical professional so I can’t tell you exactly WHY these things work, but after talking to my doctor, I learned that so many of us are really deficient in these nutrients, which makes us more susceptible to anxiety and depression.
Below I’ve compiled a list of the supplements I use. Feel free to test and see which ones will be best for you! (With help from your doctor!)
Magnesium:
-There are three different types of magnesium examples I gave you, so you wouldn’t take all three at once. I’ve always taken Magnesium in pill form, but recently my doctor told me to start using the concentrated oil because it absorbs better into our bodies vs. a pill form. I’ve definitely noticed a greater difference when I take it at night because it puts me right to sleep! I spray 4 sprays on the bottom of each foot and rub it in. Warning, it does sting a little the first few uses which is a sign that you are insufficient in magnesium! But it goes away after a few uses.
- Be careful because there are so many different types of Magnesiums out there that most of them are just a laxative. I stick with Glycinate and Citrate. Recently I’ve noticed that Magnesium L-Threonate has great reviews but I haven’t tried it so I added it just in case you want to research. I’m really loving the oil at this point so for now that is what I am sticking with.
L-Theanine:
- My doctor suggested this to me because she said it has such a calming affect, and I totally agree. Luckily for me I take all of my supplements before bed, so i’m able to fall asleep pretty quickly. I thought about taking them more in the afternoon when things get stressful, but haven’t done so yet. L-Theanine is one of the main ingredients in green tea as well, so I love to drink iced green tea a lot!
Multvitamin:
- Just having a good multi-vitamin that covers all your basic needs is important. A lot of times we are lacking in just simple nutrients which can affect out mental health, so a good vitamin will help take care of that.
Have you heard of any of these supplements, and if so have you used them and have they helped?! I would love to hear!
How to conquer trying to fall asleep with anxiety
Sometimes I lay awake at night, trying my best to fall asleep but I just can’t. My mind is racing a MILLION miles a minute with all the tasks I need to accomplish the next day, this week, oh and in my life as well.
But as fast as the thoughts of whether or not I paid the sewer bill rush in my head, they quickly disappear and begin to leave room for the more worrisome anxiety provoked thoughts.
“Gosh, I keep getting head pains. I know it’s a tumor. I’m probably going to die.”
“What if someone breaks into our house and kidnaps my kids, I better go check the locks and alarms for the 57th time.”
“My blog and my instagram are just so talentless compared to others. I just need to give up on this, I’m not good enough.”
“Damn I am just SO SICK of being this fat. I hate it…..”
I don’t think I need to go on.
These are all thoughts I’ve had racing though my mind a mile a minute before I TRY and go to bed. But the task becomes nearly impossible because I’m not allowing myself to rest, to be calm, and to just be OK with things.
The other night this happened. It was almost midnight and I knew the next morning would be brutal as I tried to get my kids off to school, so I pleaded in prayer that my mind would stop and I would just relax. As I did, this thought popped in my head to count the things I was grateful for.
This is stupid, I told myself.
This won’t work. I know I’m grateful for things, why do I need go over them in my mind.
But I did.
I begin to list everything from major blessings to smaller ones. I can walk, my kids can walk. I can talk, and my family all has the ability to verbally express their feelings. I can wake up and get something to eat, usually whatever I want. I have three kids who are alive, healthy, smart, talented. All sleeping in a beautiful room with a bed and toys. They are free from want. I have a husband laying next to me. He’s breathing. I can hold him and cuddle him at this very moment.
It was just that simple.
As I listed the countless things in my head, my eyes began to water up. I couldn’t believe all that I had in my life. All that I had looked over because I was allowing fear of the unknown, fear of things that would never happen, and fear of the things I can’t control to block my vision.
I know this might seem crazy, or might seem like it’s too simple to work. But part of anxiety and fear is that it clouds your way of thinking.
If we thought with gratitude rather than fear, we wouldn’t be anxious.
If there is one thing I have learned in this whole experience, it’s that our minds are more powerful than we give them credit for. I once read a quote years ago that stuck with me that said, ‘That which we focus on, grows.’ It really hit home with me, because imagine all the things we focus on during the day. All the times we doubt and fear…We are allowing those things to grow within us. We are giving them the water, the air, the sun, the food, and everything else that it needs to survive. Imagine if we focused on gratitude. Imagine if we looked at ourselves with love.
I can tell you right now that the amazing things we could do on this earth, in our lives, and the effect we could have would be tremendous if we just changed the way we viewed things.
Replace doubt and fear with gratitude.
Imagine that.
How To Conquer Gym Anxiety
A few years back when I was in the midst of my daily panic attacks, going to the gym seemed like THE LAST thing on earth that I wanted to do. It didn’t matter that every blog/suggestion/doctor said that exercise would help reduce my stress and anxiety…For me and in my anxious mind, the gym was not the answer.
One of my biggest triggers was being a lone…(It still is the main trigger of my anxiety)…So the thought of going to a large over-crowded gym where I would be working to get my already high heart rate up, it just didn’t sound appealing. You see, when anxiety controls your life, it tells you where you shouldn’t go or what you shouldn’t do because of fear. Literal fear, as if you could die. Being anxious you avoid that fear at all cost because, why wouldn’t you?
Only, when you say it out loud it sounds so stupid really. You avoid walking in the middle of a busy freeway because it’s dangerous. You could die, among many other things that could happen.
But avoiding the gym because you’re afraid of a panic attack among other anxiety ridden thoughts just sounds…Stupid.
Now that we’ve addressed the why, we need to address the HOW. How do you go to a place that would benefit you so much in the long run, but it’s causing you incredible fear?
For starters you might think, what is the problem if I work out at home? I have a treadmill, weights, youtube…
Here is the thing. If gyms/studios aren’t your thing, that is ok. But part of dealing with constant anxiety is isolation. We isolate ourselves out of fear of something bad happening, and a lot of times we become agoraphobic. So whether it’s the gym or target, we make excuses for putting our selves in uncomfortable positions. Now I know that sometimes going to a place to workout really isn’t peoples thing, and I can only share from my personal (and some friends) experiences, going to a gym by myself, without my children has been one of the greatest hurdles for me. It was so hard, but in the end was one of the reasons why I was able to overcome daily panic attacks and anxiety.
I will be honest and say that it is sometimes difficult to get there. Sometimes I get on the elliptical and my anxiety starts to creep in. But having the tools to overcome it, and being so comfortable now in that environment, is SO FREEING. Whenever I leave the gym I am seriously so much more mentally strong. It’s time for ME to heal and to grow…and it has been amazing.
Whether you are in the thick of your panic and anxiety, or you just have a little bit, these steps will help you overcome that fear of going to the gym! You cannot give up. The way to overcome this is my going through it.
Start Small
There very first thing I did was get out of my house. It was SO hard for me. I hired a babysitter and started to go on walks/runs near my house. I would tell myself to just go for 10 minutes. Then after 10 minutes, if I could go longer, I would. I kept pushing myself for a longer and longer time, until it was easier to leave my house alone.
Get a friend to workout with
The next thing I did was get a gym membership with a friend. We would meet at the gym, my biggest fear, and I would workout beside her and have that piece of mind that she was with me. It wasn’t easy, but having someone there forced me to stay and really helped me to reach that next step.
Start to go alone, slowly
Obviously if working out with friends is really helping, continue doing that. But also go a few times alone to really conquer those feelings of fear. It was so hard for me just to DRIVE there, so when I got there with an already elevated heart rate, the last thing I wanted to do was run. SO I started slow. I would walk around the track. And go back to the beginning where I would just try and stay for 10 minutes. And each time I would push my self to stay longer and longer.
Good music/show/podcast
Music is known to change an anxious mind into a calm one, there are so many studies on this. Create a play list of your favorite songs that excite you and listen to them. Save your favorite shows for when it’s gym time so you can watch them on a piece of exercise equipment. Or find a motivating podcast to help you. Whatever it is, these subtle distractions will keep your mind busy and less likely to bother you with a stupid, “What if?!”
Do not give up, even if you have a setback
If you are doing well and then all of the sudden you are lifting weights and have a full blown panic attack…keep going. Walk around a few times, get some water…but don't leave. Leaving just tells your body that you are in trouble, when in reality you really aren’t. Fight those feelings that something bad will happen, and stay. Or if you had a panic attack and left, and now you can’t workout because you remember that feeling…GO ANYWAYS. It’s scary, I know! But I promise you…When you go, you are telling yourself there is NOTHING to be afraid of. You are gaining control of that anxiety, and that is the best feeling.
Take care of you
Are you well rested? Drinking enough water before the gym? Taking the right supplements for anxiety, like magnesium? All of these things matter when it comes to anxiety. If you do these things, anxiety is less likely to creep in.
Have the right tools and resources
One of my biggest saving graces is my Anxiety Bible, as I call it. It’s really called DARE. But it gives you the tools to overcome ANY anxiety. It talks about everything you feel and go through, and how to work through them. A good resource will help you continue goin
Click the picture to find the book on Amazon!)
As always, make sure if you feel Anxiety/Panic Attacks/etc. that you tell someone, talk to someone, see someone, and get some help. It’s not easy to admit we are struggling…but I promise, it’s the first step into getting better and healing. Just remember, you would go to the doctor or tell someone if you had bronchitis! Mental health is just as if not more important than our physical health!