ANXIETY is something many people struggle with. Let me share some holistic tips that help me…

My personal journey with anxiety has changed over the years. There are months when I don’t experience it – And then, whooooosh…  it hits hard! Sometimes, I can tell what the triggers are and sometimes it is just a random unwelcome surprise. Over the years, it has been a real learning experience – And holistic health has definitely been a part of it.

Even though these times are challenging, there is one good thing that I think is coming out of it… The acknowledgement that our mental health and taking care of our Self is crucial!

What is anxiety? Taken from the Medical News Today: The American Psychological Association (APA) defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”

Awareness is key. I like to ask my Self questions when I feel it coming up or when I am right in the middle of it. The aim is to get a better understanding of it and the patterns that it may have. I also find that talking and asking my Self questions helps to distract my mind chatter towards something positive. I will then make a note of what comes up for me. Over the years, it has helped me pin-point different things related to this.

All emotions are forms of energy. Emotions = E-Motion = Energy In Motion. I also like to remind my Self of this… it was something that my yoga teacher told me after I had completed my first full-on class of around 30 students and was feeling anxious. He said that every challenging emotion/energy-in-motion was like a ball of energy and we could use it to our advantage, to channel it and use the raw energy it brings in a positive way. Since then, I have been experimenting with many different ways to channel this energy.

Have a mini tool kit of practical go-to things to calm and re-channel the energy. In time, I have put together a few things that keep me channeling my energy in a positive way when I am having an anxious day or moment.

The path to radical Self love comes in many forms. I find that during those tense moments, I remind my Self that this is all part of the learning experience…Be gentle on your Self!

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20 ways to connect and channel through your senses!

For me, connecting to the senses has been the easiest stepping stone to finding practical, simple and easy tools to use for my anxiety.  Grounding me energy into “The NOW”. All the senses also connect with each other, so you might find that you try one tip and it connects with another sense more.

Let me share what works for me and maybe it will inspire you to try some and see if it works for you too! It’s all about experimenting and finding what suits you best.

🌟 Smell…

✅ Use essential oils: I always carry my favourite essential oils with me and place a few drops on my scarf or somewhere near where I can smell it as I walk around and do my normal routines.

🌟 Sight…

✅ As you are going about your daily life, engage your vision and focus on things that inspire you. For example, you could pick a colour to focus on, make note of a beautiful outfit someone is wearing, watch the sun and shadows etc. Focus and channel your vision in the things that make you feel good.

✅ Carry a photo or a screen background on your phone that makes you smile. Most of the time, people are on their phone. You could put together a library of pictures/photos that make you smile and remind you of people/places/things that make you *feel* good.

🌟 Hearing…

✅ Make a music playlist of songs that lifts your soul. I have a dedicated playlist for when I am noticing my Self beginning to feel anxious or stressed. This is the time, I will take a moment, a bathroom break or walk with my music on. I am especially loving mantras and kirtan music, which works with the science of sound and healing. By mentally and physically chanting, this can have a beautiful impact on our body! Music with certain frequencies also shifts energy.

“The tongue as it moves in chanting hits the upper palate of the mouth.  There are 84 meridian points located at the roof of the mouth.  32 pairs of points (64) are located on the hard palate directly behind each tooth.  The other 20 are located in a “U” shape along the central part of the palate.  Each mouth has its points is a slightly different spot as the shape of our mouths are unique, but the general placement in this pattern is universal.   As you stimulate each meridian point, it sends signals to the hypothalamus.  Just like you’re typing on a computer.  Clickity-clack, go your fingers and the computer responds.  Clickity-clack-chant, goes your tongue, and your hypothalamus responds.  The hypothalamus programs the chemicals that go into your brain.  It is connected to the pituitary gland by blood vessels and regulates moods, emotional behavior, sexuality and even physical things like hunger and sleep.  Special patterns within mantra stimulates the hypothalamus to change the chemistry of the brain in specific ways.  You can strengthen the immune system, balance different parts of the brain, regulate sleep hormones, etc.  Emotionally, chanting can open huge blocks.  You can overcome depression, enhance your intuition, and simply all-around feel good.”  >>Read more

✅ Dance! Dance like no one is watching lol! Lock the door, put up the music and enjoy how you connect with music and movement. Let it all go.

✅ Download an audio book. Instead of letting your monkey mind chatter take hold of you, switch on your audio book and allow your imagination to run wild.

🌟 Touch…

✅ Focus on your feet and walking pace. If I am walking and feel anxious and stressed, I like to turn my focus to my feet and the pace of my strides. By doing this, I am allowing my Self to ground my energy, bringing all the upper heavy mass of energy to the grounding earth. I am also much more present in my body and how it feels with my environment. I will just observe my feet walking, may be even synced up my breathing and enjoy the movements.

✅ Place one palm on your heart space and the other on your lower abdomen – Then just feel your breath and heartbeat. I love this so much – It just brings me back into my heart space and to the 2nd Chakra/emotional centre of the lower belly. Closed eyes… Inhaling deeply for the count of 4 – Feeling the belly expand slowly outwards, like a balloon. Holding my breath briefly at the top and then exhaling through the nose or mouth, allowing the raw energy to be released and my belly balloon to shrink. I repeat for at least 3 minutes.

✅ Wear clothing that feels soft and comfortable. I love the texture of clothing… it can transform and complete the way an outfit feels throughout the whole day. I try to wear clothing that makes me feel cosy, but also can be dressed up too. There is nothing worse than feeling anxiety, with a tight chest and wearing clothing that feels like it’s strangling you!

✅ Run a bath and soak for as long as you like. Yes! Water is the perfect element to dive into when you’re feeling emotionally anxious. Very cleansing. It can be as simple or as luxurious as you want. I always put in a few drops of essential oils and play music to unwind.

✅ A hug. No need to explain this… So simple, so heart-full. Who doesn’t love a hug?

🌟 Taste…

✅ Are you hungry? I certainly know that when I am hungry, I can easily experience my emotions on a more heightened scale. This is one of the reasons I ask my Self this question when I am starting to feel the wave of anxiety coming. Food has a huge part to play in how we feel. This is a wonderful opportunity to get in touch with your awareness of how the food-mood connection works.

✅ Treat your Self to tasty and healthy foods. It is easy to turn to comfort foods that are unhealthy and quick, but this can actually make you feel worst afterwards! So why not opt for simple comfort food that feels relaxing, such as a hearty soup. I love to make space to cook a favourite recipe or to head to a new veggie-friendly restaurant.

✅ Invite a friend out for a coffee. This is the perfect time to connect and make a plan to meet-up with a good friend. Sometimes a coffee and good company really shifts everything in a good way.

🌟 6th Sense & Creative Tips…

✅ Get out in nature. Nature really is a big healer! Whenever I get time, I go out into nature and just observe everything – with ALL the senses. The more I spend time each week in nature, the more i notice that it has a deep effect on my Self, on so many levels. And if you don’t have any green spaces near you, bring nature home. Buy some plants and surround your Self with nature this way too.

✅ Engage your intuitive Self. If you are feeling anxious, ask your institution to be open. See what comes up. The more you allow your intuition to tell you things – the more you will start to recognise it… even when there is no logical explanation or reason for what it is telling you. The trust process takes time.

✅ Energy management. Maybe the energy and emotions were not even yours to begin with! Many empaths or people who are sensitive to their environment collect energy from others, often without even knowing it! For example: Maybe you enter a room and feel that it just feels “off”… Maybe you meet a person and feel drained straight after your encounter. These are all energy exchanges and we can often collect anxious energy from the people, places and update feed we connect with regularly.

✅ Creativity channels. Our 6th sense is very much connected to our reactive Self. Think about activities or things that you like to do that “zone you out” in a good way! It doesn’t have to be traditional things like art or writing (although a journal is a fantastic form of releasing!)… t can be anything that allows you to express your Self and connect with your energy flow.  Ask your Self: What activity makes me lose all sense of time when i am doing it?

✅ Yoga, meditation and all things Mind-Body-Soul. When I consciously make time each day, even just 3 minutes in the morning, to actively do something that connects me deeper to my Self, I feel much better. The energy tone of the day and week ahead changes and I feel aligned with my goals and my purpose. Time should never be an excuse – There are many short 3-minute meditations in Kundalini yoga that you can do that will fit in nicely to anyone’s busy schedule.

✅ Grounding crystals. Speaking of all things mind-body-soul, I LOVE crystals. For me, grounding crystals seem to work the best – Experiment with different crystals and feel what works for you. Not only are they beautiful to wear, they work with your energy centres too. My favourite ones are Black onyx, lava, obsidian, red jasper and tourmaline.

Take a deep breath… I hope these tips inspire you ❤️