Top 10 tips to freedom from stress & anxiety
When dealing with health issues such as stress, anxiety or depression it’s important to look at it from different angles. Nutrition plays a key role here and a Nutritional Therapist can best advise you on supplements and herbs as well as changes you can make in your daily diet. If you are on medication please be sure to consult a Nutritional Therapist before taking any supplements or herbs.
1. Don’t skip meals
When you feel down you may not feel like eating, but it’s important to eat regularly to maintain blood sugar levels, which can help maintain energy levels and mood.*
2. Eat protein
Do this with every meal and snack; this also helps balance blood sugar levels and helps maintain muscle and strength.
3. Eat oily fish
Two to three times per week and include nuts and seeds as part of your daily diet. The brain is made up of over 60% fat and neuron connections and communication within the brain is improved with healthy fats. Oily fish can include salmon, kippers, herring, sardines and anchovies. Tuna steak is also good, but not more than twice per month due to higher levels of mercury found in large fish.
1-2 litres per day
4. Stay hydrated
Studies have shown that mood alterations and depression may be influenced by dehydration. Drink small amounts of water throughout the day, listen to your body and remember you may need more if exercising.
5. Have a support network around you.
Friends and family are great, but otherwise a professional counsellor or psychiatrist can offer impartial advice and help support you. You may also want to consider writing your thoughts out in a letter or a journal; it’s important to express yourself and not bottle things up.
6. Pay attention to your self-talk
Do you criticise yourself of do you compliment and applaud yourself? How you think about yourself will definitely affect how you look at life and may affect your recovery.
7. Get a good night’s sleep
7-8 hours should be sufficient, although you need to listen to your body and you may need more if you are adrenally fatigued. To help encourage healthy sleeping habits use your bedroom only for sleeping and sleep in a darkened and quiet environment that’s not too warm or cold. Going to bed on a routine helps avoid night-time waking, as does not eating a couple of hours before sleep. Still suffering? Try a warm bath with epsom salts or eating a small snack of chicken, avocado, turkey or cottage cheese about a half hour before bed. Read more…
8. Allow yourself a ‘duvet day’!
Don’t beat yourself up for how you feel; allow yourself a limited time to avoid the world and be a couch potato or hide under the duvet. Make sure it’s limited and then get up, shower and get dressed. Do your makeup or shave, put on something that looks good on you and you might find it improves how you view your day.
9. Get some exercise
It doesn’t need to be an hour in the gym, but even a walk in fresh air for 20 minutes may help. Exercise helps eliminate toxins from the body, improves circulation, provides much needed oxygen to the cells and is a great stress reliever. (note: those suffering from adrenal fatigue should limit it to very gentle exercise)
10. Lastly, try smiling or laughing as a therapy!
Watch a funny movie, go to a comedy show or join a laugh workshop. Laughing gets the circulation going, is energising and also stress relieving. There are workshops in many major cities, but here are a few examples: Tot Lachs (Until Laughing).
For more health tips, sign up to our newsletter below or join a meetup group for mood boosting events. For tips designed just for you, contact me to arrange a consultation.
*NOTE: Once your blood sugar is regulated, fasting and keto diets may actually help improve your mood (confusing right?! Book a 15 minute free call to understand more)
