The Silent Monster

Hi, I'm Andrea and I've been living with a silent monster for as long as I can remember, Anxiety. In my 20's I was finally diagnosed with Anxiety, but up until then I had no idea what it was and that I had been dealing with this issue for so long. I remember as a young kid being so scared to go to bed, my mind would race and I would feel like someone was sitting on my chest, holding my arms down, everything felt so heavy, I couldn't lift my arms, I couldn't move. As a child not understanding this feeling was terrifying so I figured out a coping mechanism (pretty smart right?!) that worked for me. Every time this feeling would start, there was one song I could sing that always made the feeling go away and my mind stop running a mile a minute. I would sing it over and over again until I felt "normal" again. Its amazing how even as kids we figure out what works for us. I never told my parents until much later in my life that this was happening to me, and the day I told my mom about it, she looked at me and said "you have anxiety" It all started to make sense, the anxiety problem that was hitting me in the face in my 20's has been with me my whole life, but now had turned into an ugly monster I couldn't ignore or sing away anymore. I had to face it head on and get it under control asap.

For those living with anxiety, I get you, i know it's not fun. As a society anxiety isn't taken as serious as I feel it should be, people like to brush it aside and say "take a deep breath, you're fine." I know people who can't leave their homes, or have panic attacks, for me my chest gets tight and I feel like I can't breath, my heart flutters like a butterfly and it's scary. Its something we need to get more vocal about and we need to share our stories. I'm not afraid to get real, and super honest about everything I have and am going through because the more I share, the more I heal, and in return help others heal too.....so I encourage you to find a support person, or group where you can share and hear others stories too. We aren't alone in our battles.

Here are a few things I have learned. Its important when suffering with anxiety that you can train yourself to become self aware. Once you can do this you can better recognize when anxiety is happening to you. I wanted to share this great 3 step exercise to get in the habit of scanning your body and surroundings.

Mindful Awareness exercise.

1. Close your eyes and breathe; noticing the body, how the intake of air feels, how the heart beats, what sensations you can feel in the gut, in your heart, neck, shoulders, back – notice where you hold stress in the body and send breath to those areas. With me its always my shoulders, and neck.

2. With eyes still closed, purposefully shift your awareness away from your body to everything you can hear, smell, or feel through your skin.

3. Shift awareness back and forth from your body to what’s going on around you. You will learn on a physical level that you can control what aspects of the world – internal or external – you’ll notice, giving you an internal focus of control and learning that when you can ignore physical sensations, you can stop making the catastrophic interpretations that bring on panic or worry. It allows you to feel more in control and mindful of the present.

Now that you have a way to help train yourself to become more self aware so you can better recognize when your anxiety is about to strike, here are my top tips, using natural remedies for calming anxiety.

My top 5 natural remedies for calming anxiety

1. Essential oils - These have been my saving grace when dealing with my anxiety and depression. If you need help and tips on dealing with depression check out my blog post on that HERE.

• Lavender

• Lavender oil has been shown to reduce anxiety and help relax the body.

• Roman Chamomile

• Roman chamomile essential oil is used to calm nerves and reduce anxiety because of its mild sedative and relaxation-promoting properties. Inhaling roman chamomile works as an emotional trigger because the fragrance travels directly to the brain to help fight anxiety symptoms

• Balance (grounding blend)

• This blend reminds me of walking in nature, it smells like tree's blowing in the summer air. It's all about providing tranquility and ease to the mind and body.

• Citrus Bliss (invigorating blend),

• Helps uplift and calm the mind and body. Diffuse or use as a perfume to help with stress, and feelings of anxiety and depression.

• Wild Orange

• Helps calm feelings of nervousness, and is uplifting to the mind. You would want to apply this oil to the pulse points.

2. Get enough rest

• Aim to get 7–9 hours of sleep every night in order to reduce stress, balance your hormones, prevent moodiness and reduce fatigue. You can also diffuse lavender or Roman chamomile essential oil in your bedroom to help induce relaxation.

3. Physical activity

• Go for walks, fresh air always makes things better. Head to the gym, or an exercise class, go for a Yoga class.

4. Meditate

• I find when I'm anxious that it's really important to have quiet time to calm my mind and body and clear the clutter. Meditation is always amazing for reducing stress and deep breathing.

5. Limit Caffeine and Alcohol

• Too much caffeine or alcohol can increase anxiety symptoms like moodiness, nervousness and the jitters. Start paying attention to what triggers your anxiety, if it is caffeine, you'll want to cut back or stop drinking it entirely.

I know that this blog post will finds it way to those who need to read it and hope it gives you some insight and new ways to help support your situation. If I can help even one person, I'm a happy woman.

Until next time,

XO

Andrea