Natural Anxiety Therapy

One of the oldest forms of anxiety therapy is the practice of massage.  It was first recorded in the 2nd Century BC in China.  Think about it, it’s common sense.  When someone is down and out, don’t we often instinctively touch  to soothe another?   I know I have sought out many a massage during times of anxiety, stress, or physical exhaustion.  Many of my clients come to me for essential oil therapies, full body massage, or reflexology to de-stress and relax.  When I was experiencing anxiety and panic attacks 24/7, I had weekly massage appointments.  It wasn’t a luxury, it was one of the only things that helped the restlessness I was experiencing.

Through one of my professional bodywork magazines I found an article on “Anti-Anxiety Foot Massage” that was very interesting.  This technique developed by John Mramor that induces hypnosis and deep relaxation by using some simple techniques on the feet.  You can read the whole instructional article or better yet … watch the video by clicking HERE.   You’ll need to enter page 52 in the box at the upper right corner to take you directly to the article and video. Watching the video almost hypnotized me alone!

To enhance the action of this technique, I am going to use therapeutic grade (not health food store) essential oils. My top choices are Stress Away, Peace & Calming, or Tranquil blends and I will add them to a base oil like almond, grape seed, or V6.   Stress Away for me has worked like an instant, fabulous smelling, anxiety busting elixir. Just a few passes of the roller under my nose and on my neck and I get the “Xanax” like effect without the drugs!  Peace & Calming was instrumental about 10 years ago when I came off anti-depressants. Every time I felt a withdrawal effect from the Effexor, I would rub Peace & Calming on my ears.  Got me through those tough couple of weeks!

.

We’re in full Holiday immersion right now. No matter if you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Yule – this time of year can add stress that calls for anxiety therapy!

Here are some of my favorite tips to stay SANE during Holiday crunch time:

1. Sleep.  Be sure to rest 8 hours every night. No staying up late to finish baking cookies or wrapping presents!
2. Diet.  Yes, goodies and alcohol are very tempting this time of year.  Nothing better than home made treats. But, watch the quantity.  Every year I would get very ill after the Holidays until I discovered it was caused by my love of home made cookies. About two weeks after being gifted cookies from grandma and mom I would get the flu. I stopped eating the goodies, no more sickness!  My philosophy is if you eat a goody, eat an equal portion of a vegetable like cucumber, spinach, steamed broccoli, etc.  Another angle I take is if I’d like an alcoholic drink, I skip the starch on my dinner plate (rice, potato, etc) and dessert. I only have one treat per meal, so I have to choose between dessert, alcohol, or starch.
3. Personal Time! There’s a lot of pressure on us to get our homes ready to receive guests, get shopping done,  schedule the family visits, and maintain normal daily tasks.  Take time out to exercise, get a massage, or have a night out of play with friends. It’s more important for maintaining your sanity than you think.
4. Super Foods.   When I run around in super busy mode, I ramp up my super nutrition. When the body is running in overdrive, the demand for stress handling nutrients skyrockets.  To support my adrenals, I always have PowerMeal with Amazon Power Shake added, Ningxia Red, and Mineral Essence.
5. Stay Present.  Sounds weird right?  We can get so wrapped up with all the things we have to do we forget to savor the moment. When I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, I stop what I’m doing and grab my Grounding oil.  I open it up, rub a few drops on my palm, and then take a deep breath.  Works wonders for me!

Do you have any tips that help you during this time of year?  Please comment to Jen Crippen and share how you get Holiday anxiety relief!

Now that the clocks have been turned back the days feel very short.  Darkness will fall earlier everyday until December 21st, then the days start getting longer.  This time of year many of us (including myself) start to feel the winter blues.  The past few years I have made a few changes to help me from feeling the effects of SAD (seasonal affective disorder).   Here are a couple of tips as part of my anxiety therapy!

With less natural light, the body makes less vitamin D3. D3 is one of the critical vitamins that combats depression, anxiety, SAD, and other mental ’stuff’.  A simple search on the internet for “D3 SAD” or “D3 Depression” “D3 anxiety” will yield a ton of wonderful information on the connection of this vitamin and how how it can help anxiety.  To raise my D3 levels, I take about 4000 IU a day through the winter months. D3 can also be made from the sun, what a great excuse to go on a Caribbean vacation right after New Years!  Wonder if I can deduct it as a medical expense?

I also try to get out in the sun a bit during peak daytime hours. D3 is made when the sun hits the skin. Sunlight also increases serotonin levels in the brain when it hits the iris.  The neurotransmitter serotonin is on of the most important feel good brain chemicals. Later in the day, it is converted to melatonin which prepares us for a good night’s sleep.   If it’s not possible to get out into the sun, some people have used full spectrum light bulbs and have had great – uplifting results.

Omega 3 fatty acids are another weapon in my arsenal to help SAD.  My favorite source of omega 3’s is cod liver oil, the lemon flavor! My goal is to get about 4 grams a day. This helps my brain feel happy!  Plus, I remember things better, my joints hurt less, and skin looks fabulous. Funny how people who live in areas with funky daylight times such as Alaska and Norway have an abundance of fish that can supply them with D3 and omega 3’s? Nature is awesome!

The last thing I do is diffuse essential oils.  Essential oils from plants have been studied heavily for their properties to lift and balance mood.   I have a house diffuser and use a blend called Citrus Fresh.  If I start to feel the blues and need extra support, I break out The Feelings Kit.  What I would do without these I don’t know, they helped keep me glued together when the anxiety and panic attacks were at it’s worst.  People say, “You always know when Jen Crippen is around – it smells wonderful!”.   Besides smelling good, they make me feel happy and help anxiety!

Crashing from Chronic Stress

Did you know that chronic stress can cause brain damage? Dr. Mark Hyman discusses in UltraMind Solution that Dr. Robert Sapolsky of Stanford University has mapped out why chronic stress damages our brain.  Stress increases the hormones epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol as one of the way’s the body combats the physical effects of stress.

Over the course of time we may experience impaired memory, dementia, and depression do to the effects of these hormones chronically running high.  Our body was not designed to run in fight or flight all the time.  I liken it to driving a car with the gas pedal to the floor all the time; pretty soon the parts wear out and the car breaks down. The same happens to our bodies. We’ll go, go, go without rest and when the body has had enough … it breaks down.

What does this mean to you? The next time you’re stressed remember that it is this is eating away at brain – literally!  Take yourself on a mini-vacation for a few minutes. Go outside and get some air, eat a healthy snack, put on your favorite music, or even do a few stretches. You’ll be amazed at what this does for that icky feeling pent up in your body.  Something as simple as sitting in a garden can be great anxiety therapy.

Much of what I write about here is about the physical causes of anxiety.  There are so many books and self help programs that are fantastic on the emotional and mental piece, but the physical is not addressed. That is why I focus on the physical, because anxiety is NOT all in your head!  But, there are definitely mental components. A simple shift in mindset can mean big results for our anxiety therapy.

One characteristic anxious people have in common is the need for CONTROL.   My self included!  When we try to CONTROL everything in our life and  it compounds anxiety.  The stress takes it’s toll on our adrenals too.  The question is, are we ever in CONTROL?  Really, no.  We only think we are.  CONTROL is only an illusion that can be shattered at any time. We think we CONTROL our careers, family, and even ourselves. But in one instant, any one of those things can be gone by means out of our CONTROL.

Panic attacks, on the other hand is rooted in the fear of loosing CONTROL.  This was definitely the case for me. Especially if I was trapped in an air plane or traffic jam, I’d get anxious that I couldn’t CONTROL them.   Then I’d panic because what if I just totally flipped out and was out of CONTROL, trapped in a confined space with nobody to help me.  Sound familiar???

What’s the opposite of CONTROL and FEAR?   LOVE and TRUST.   The way I handle anxious thoughts in my mind is I remind myself that I CONTROL is just an illusion.  Then I go to the space of TRUST. I TRUST the outcome will be just fine; whatever happens is whatever happens.  I TRUST the pilot of the plane. I TRUST the traffic jam will let up.  I TRUST the money will come in to pay my bills.  I TRUST my loved ones will make the right decisions.  Got it?  Good!

So next time you’re freaking out, just sit back and take a deep breath. Shift your mindset.  Let go of the CONTROL, then TRUST everything will be ok. It always is, isn’t it?