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Many of you may not know that anxiety is something I’ve dealt with for my entire life. Up until a few months ago, only my close friends and family knew about my daily struggles. I felt embarrassed to talk about it – as if it were my fault or something to be ashamed of. If you suffer from anxiety, I’m here to tell you that there is NOTHING to be embarrassed or ashamed of. Mental health issues do not discriminate against anyone, and it’s helpful to talk about it among one another!
I know most people do not even remotely understand what it feels like to suffer from anxiety on a daily basis. Those people are extremely lucky. I also know that managing my anxiety will be something I continue to struggle with every single day. However, I’ve learned of a few ways to manage it to the best of my ability over the past few years. These methods do seem to work for me, but of course, every day is different. No single strategy will eliminate stress and anxiety completely, but they sure can help. Here are 5 ways to manage anxiety.
1. CBD Oil
This has been a TOTAL FREAKING GAME CHANGER for me, and I seriously cannot recommend this enough. I’ve talked a bit about CBD Oil on Instagram, and a few people have had some questions about it. I want to answer as many questions as I can regarding my favorite CBD products in this post, because I don’t want anyone to be skeptical! You can read all about what CBD Oil is here and if it’s right for you. You can get any products on the CBD MD website for 15% off by using code “ASHLEN”. A few products I love:
- CBD PM – I take this 30 minutes before bed time. It keeps me asleep throughout the night so that I don’t spend my entire night tossing and turning, thinking about all the things that have gone wrong in the past or that could go wrong in the future. Lack of sleep during the night makes for an exhausting next morning, which only adds to my anxiousness. This product has, by far, been the most game changing product I’ve ever used. I really can’t recommend it enough!
- Gummies – These are sooo delicious, and everyone needs to try these at some point in their lives.
- Bath bombs – I’ve always enjoyed taking baths. Baths help me to relax whether CBD bath bombs are involved or not, however, these bath bombs seem to be helping – and plus, they smell amazing.
- Daytime oil – This is just plain old regular CBD oil to take whenever you please. I’ve taken this during the daytime when I’m having a particularly stressful day, or when I feel an anxiety attack coming on. Sometimes, I add a few droplets to my morning smoothie which is a simple, easy way to incorporate the oil into your routine naturally.
2. A healthier diet
Monitoring what you’re putting in and on your body is the biggest piece of advice I can give you if you suffer from anxiety. As many of you may know, I used to eat terribly (MY B). My diet consisted solely of McDonalds and Taco Bell (not drunkenly. I’m talking like… sober, during my lunch breaks at work). A few months ago, I was introduced to a health and wellness company called Arbonne that has completely changed my health both physically and mentally. After I was introduced to Arbonne, I loved the products so much that I decided to become an Independent Consultant for them. Yep, you read that correctly. I love the products THAT much that I would put my neck out on the line for them, and I share them with anyone who will listen.
I went from eating bagels, cream cheese, and coffee for breakfast to replacing all of that with a protein/spinach smoothie filled with anything and everything that’s good for my body. In addition to paying closer attention to what I’m putting into my body, I’m also paying closer attention to what I’m putting onto my body. Did you know that your skin is the biggest organ in your body? The skincare products you use are absorbed into your bloodstream within 26 seconds of coming in contact with your skin. Yep…. read that last part one more time. What skincare products are you using? Any old thing you pick up at the drugstore? Have you ever stopped to read the ingredients on the labels of your skincare products? When you read those labels, do you know what half of those words mean? I didn’t either.
After being introduced to Arbonne, I started paying more and more attention to the disgusting chemicals that were in the skincare I had been using. I threw those toxic products away, and I only use Arbonne skincare products now, with some exceptions (if the ingredients in the other products are clean). I can honestly say that I have noticed a positive change in my anxiety ever since switching to Arbonne products. Detoxing from the inside out were apparently much needed, and I didn’t even realize it until after I made the switch.
3. Less alcohol
I used to come home after a stressful day at work and immediately pour myself a glass of wine to sip on while I made dinner. I would then usually proceed to pour myself another one later on in the night, which I would sip on if I had some work to do on my laptop or if I was sitting on the couch watching tv. After cutting out alcohol during the Arbonne 30 Days To Healthy Living program (which I would be happy to explain to anyone who is interested), I realized that I felt less anxious when I didn’t drink. I felt so much more productive, and I tended to fall asleep (and stay asleep) much better without having any alcohol in my system.
Now, don’t get me wrong… I have not given up alcohol entirely, and I am not saying I no longer drink. I still go out on the weekends (#BRUNCH) and enjoy the occasional drink or two when I’m out to dinner with friends during the work week. However, I’ve just started to pay more attention to when I’m drinking and I ask myself if it’s necessary. Do I absolutely NEED to have a glass of wine with dinner? No, I don’t. There is no reason why I can’t just drink water or a La Croix instead. There’s a reason why alcohol is technically a “depressant”. Once I started to pay more attention to this, I noticed a positive change in my anxiety.
4. Listen to podcasts
Podcasts are something I started taking seriously about a year ago. There are a TON of different podcasts to listen to, but my podcast of choice differs each day depending on what’s on my mind. If I’m feeling super stressed and need to take my mind off everything, I recommend listening to something silly, like the U Up podcast, The Morning Toast, or Girls Gotta Eat. If I’m feeling productive and if I think listening to something empowering and educational would take some stress away, I listen to The Influencer Podcast, The Angie Lee Show, Online Marketing Made Easy, or Optimal Finance Daily. Like I said, there are hundreds of thousands of podcasts out there. Look into a few that are best for you, and see how you feel after giving them a listen for a while.
5. Alone time
Again, this is all personal preference. I know for some people, being alone tends to strengthen the anxiousness, and they need to surround themselves with other people in order to get their mind off of whatever is making them stressed. For me, I’ve found this to be true in some cases, but for the most part I am able to relax when I am completely alone and can allow myself to think.
I can turn on some Netflix, draw a bath, put on a face mask, I can call my mom for a long chat. I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT. For this reason, I love to be alone. In fact, I absolutely cherish my alone time. I wrote a bit about this in my latest post, 28 Things I Learned By Age 28, which I strongly suggest reading. I think it’s extremely healthy to enjoy spending time with yourself, and to become your own best friend.
And there you have it.
5 simple ways to manage anxiety. While I know that living with anxiety can be extremely difficult, I hope there were some tips in this blog post to help you manage it to the best of your ability. When I’m having tough days, these are the strategies I try out in order to overcome my stress. How do you manage your anxiety? I would love to hear any advice you might have. Be sure to leave your tips and tricks for me in the comments below!
xo,
Ashlen
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