Reduce Your Anxiety With This Simple Strategy
Before you do anything else, try this!
Have you ever paid attention to the correlation between your anxiety, and your appetite?
Fact: Hunger INCREASES anxiety. And so does caffeine!
If you want to get a head start on managing your anxiety for the day, considering trying to eat something before that first cup of coffee, and definitely don’t skip breakfast altogether.
So many people I know, particularly mothers, don’t eat breakfast; and the reason is: “I’m too busy!” Well I’m here to tell you that YOU are worth prioritizing. When you don’t make time for yourself and your basic needs, you’re not the only one who suffers - your family does too. Your basic needs need to be met (ie. hunger), in order to set yourself up for tackling symptoms of anxiety, anger, rage, and anything else that comes your way.
When you take the time for yourself, you are better equipped to handle the stressors of motherhood, it really is that simple. Once your basic needs have been met, you open up the ability for managing the residual symptoms of your anxiety, and maybe even further exploration of what is at the root of it, to lead you towards long-term healing.
Alongside from starting your day with ensuring that your basic need of satisfying hunger has been met, the other times that you notice your anxiety amping up please check in with yourself and consider when the last time you ate was. A simple tool for decreasing symptoms of anxiety is making sure you are getting enough to eat.
Guest Contribution from Laurel Berube, Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant:
The age old "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" is very true, particularly for those that experience any symptoms of peri-natal mood or anxiety disorders.
Blood sugar is one of the aspects that affects our brain and moods. It has the ability to keep us level headed clear thinking and happiness. Or it can swing your moods, make you angry, irritable and physically lightheaded or ill feeling.
Stable blood sugar means it does not swing from high to low throughout the day. You won't get bursts of energy and then a crash. Cravings are less so you won't be reaching for those unhealthy foods.
This image shows you what happens to your blood sugar throughout the day. We eat, we get a surge, it drops, we eat, repeat.
What would that look like if you took one of those meals out? The drop would be far greater leaving you exhausted and irritable. Skipping breakfast starts the day off really low!
Our brain needs carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats to function properly. Eating a healthy breakfast can seem like a huge task, but without it, your brain is starving for the nutrients it needs.
Whatever you eat in the morning, make it healthy and make it fast. Those mornings can zip by so fast and all we make time for is a coffee or tea and by the time we wonder why we are so cranky it's 2 hours later and haven't eaten anything. It's also likely that you haven't even had a drink of water. Before you even drink that coffee, drink a large glass of water and have something to eat.
- Laurel Berube, CHNC
What more information on how to eat to help your moods? Sign up for Laurel Berube, CHNC newsletter & Get a FREE 3 Day Energy Boosting Meal Plan for Moms.
Disclosure: This is ONE strategy to help you decrease your anxiety, and you will likely need to use other tools and support to be able to manage your anxiety completely. To read more about exploring the root of anxiety, read: Dear Anxiety, I Want to Break Up With You.
