5 Ways to Overcome Anxiety

Aleigh [00:00:00]: This is the Golden Nuggets podcast where we eat golden nuggets for lunch every day, talking life changing topics over lunch size portions. I'm your host, friend, and biggest fan, Ali Schenk. Join us for some good laughs, funny stories, and some life changing topics that will help us enjoy a better today and build a better tomorrow. Hello, everyone. And today, we are gonna be talking about 5 things that we can do to overcome anxiety that does not include medication. Welcome to the Golden Nuggets podcast. My name is Ali Schenk. And today, we're gonna be talking about this because I think it's extremely relevant. Aleigh [00:00:38]: The rates of anxiety have gone up significantly over the past 10 years. And then, of course, after 2020, there was a huge increase as well. So I think it's important that we not only educate ourselves about what the symptoms are of anxiety, but, also, what are some things that we can do that are practical that may improve the condition a lot, but may not necessarily involve serious medication, particularly habit forming medication. So I'm just gonna jump right into this because it's pretty straightforward. But, of course, as human beings, we all go through different situations that cause us a little bit of anxiety, whether that is taking a test or going to a job interview or trying something new. There's always gonna be situations where we feel a little bit anxious and a little nervous, maybe our palms get sweaty. But there is a difference between going through these things and being able to overcome them on a daily basis, and and being constantly bombarded with the sense of anxiety that's completely overwhelming and really gets in the way of living the type of life that we wanna live. And of course, there can be genetic factors to this, but there are also several things that have been proven through science that we can do that can help us just on a daily basis. Aleigh [00:02:07]: And the first thing that we're gonna talk about is eating better. This is something that is absolutely fundamental. I've personally gone through this myself. I've dealt with anxiety through a couple of my pregnancies. And the moment that I cleaned up my diet and started a bit of exercise, which is another thing that we're gonna be talking about, really, the anxiety went down 90%. And so, I was just amazed by how impactful this was. Sugar intake, specifically, can be completely ravenous when it comes to symptoms of anxiety. And so, the first thing that we can do is decrease or just completely eliminate added sugars. Aleigh [00:02:50]: And also, something that's really helpful is taking a look at our intake for simple carbs. Simple carbs, the way that they're processed actually turn into sugar in our body. So whether that's fruit juice or bread or pasta or potatoes or rice, these things, while they're very tasty and while they give us a very by feeling when it comes to alleviating our hunger. They can be absolutely detrimental when it comes to balancing our mood and decreasing those feelings of anxiousness. So that was something that personally was very life changing for me, but this is backed by science. And I don't know about you, but I know that I didn't realize that fruit juice was really not great for you. I always thought, oh, if it comes from a plant, then it must be great. So if there's a box and it has an apple on it, then it must be awesome and probably a good addition for my children's diets. Aleigh [00:03:53]: But, actually, because it's full of so much sugar, we may as well just be having soda with our breakfast. So that is a great thing to cut out or at least slower intake. Something that I tried as soon as my last daughter was born is, I tried a very clean diet. She got thrashed twice in 2 weeks, and I thought, oh, my goodness. I've got to figure something out. So I figured out what is the cleanest diet that I could possibly have that will just optimize my brain health and my gut health and just help me start this new chapter of parenthood out on the right foot. And I went to find a lot of information on brainmd.com. It is the website of doctor Amen. Aleigh [00:04:43]: He is a neurologist and just does a lot of amazing work, but, basically, I came to this eating plan where it's meats and vegetables and nuts and seeds and fruit and water. And that's pretty much it. I mean, obviously, you can do herbs and teas and things like that, but I've cut caffeine altogether, cut sugar, dairy, and gluten. I wanted to just see how it would work for our family if it would decrease inflammation. My daughters are having some issues as well. And what's crazy is within 5 or 6 days, all of the symptoms that we had been dealing with for so long were completely gone. And so what I plan to be a 1 month little eating plan cleanse has actually turned into the last almost 5 months of just our normal eating. And I'm just gonna encourage you. Aleigh [00:05:37]: For anyone who feels like that would be absolutely impossible and overwhelming and expensive and depressing. I just wanna say it gets a lot easier. And as far as the cost effectiveness goes, we actually found that when we go really all in with it, it ends up being way more reasonable than when we go halfway. Because, yes, good quality food is very expensive, but it's only expensive when you're also buying the junk. And so we found that whenever we are not getting the junk, but only getting the good stuff, then it goes kind of back down to a normal range. So let's move on to the next method of prevention, which is exercising regularly. I know this is a really big one, but exercise has been shown, in some cases, to be as effective as anti depressants, which I find to be wild. This is another thing that I have experienced the amazing success of firsthand when I went through some anxiety and cleaned up my diet and started exercising, and I felt like an entirely different human being. Aleigh [00:06:44]: So, just 30 minutes of regular vigorous exercise can be great. Whether that's a walk or a run or playing tennis or playing pickleball. I know that's a huge thing. I've never tried it. My husband did it once and he loved it. Zumba, there's so many different options and things that you can do. One thing that doctor Amen says that I love is walk for 45 minutes every day like you're late. And I just think that's awesome. Aleigh [00:07:09]: Process my thoughts. It gives me some time to be process my thoughts. It gives me some time to be alone. And I know if there's any parents out there that are listening or people with roommates, we all know this is central folks. So we've got eating better, exercising regularly, and then number 3 is sleeping better. Sleeping is absolutely fundamental to decreasing anxiety. And while we sleep, our brain is actually doing a clean up process. It's detoxing itself. Aleigh [00:07:43]: And whenever we deprive it of sleep, whether that is because we're nursing mother or we're playing video games, or whatever the reason is, it's actually not only increasing our likelihood of having things like anxiety and depression and things like that, but it is not setting us up for increased mood, increased satisfaction in relationship, or really mental clarity at all. And so, a couple things that we can do in order to sleep better. 1 is, let's be practical. So if video games is the reason that we're staying up super late or screens, which I know is a huge sleep robber, then having a boundary where all technology gets turned off at a certain time may be helpful. Another thing that some people do is they will set their WiFi router to turn off at a certain time or they'll just unplug it. And another option is having a no screen rule in the bedroom, and I know that that is a huge adjustment for a lot of people. But it's also often very helpful when trying to get more sleep or improving relationships and things like that. I know that whenever my husband and I set things like that up, then it's really great because we have that boundary that work or school or other things are gonna be completed outside of the bed. Aleigh [00:09:09]: And when those are compartmentalized, then I find that our rest and our relationships are prioritized properly. If you're breastfeeding mother, just know that you are not alone. There are a few things that may be helpful. It could be nice to have an in law or a babysitter come and watch the baby or your other kids for a few hours even during the day, so that you can do some catch up. Another option could be pumping, so that your partner could take one feeding shift. And know that if you are a nursing mother and you're not getting very much sleep, know that you're not doing anything wrong. There are literally millions of other women that are in your shoes. And, although, it can feel like you're the only one in the world, there are many other women standing with you or staying up with you, I should so a few other things we can do to enhance our sleeping zones are keeping the room cooler, making sure that all noisy distractions are eliminated, so that we have a quiet place to sleep. Aleigh [00:10:09]: Some people find white noise helpful. I find it very disturbing and I have a very difficult time sleeping with it. So just making that bedroom space peaceful as far as the noise goes. Having a wind down routine is also proven to help produce melatonin and help people fall asleep. And having a consistent sleep schedule is key, so saying, okay, dinner is at this time, we're gonna have wind down time at this time, and bed at this time every night, even on weekends, can be very helpful for people that are having difficulty getting enough sleep. One other thing that can be very helpful is eliminating caffeine altogether or at least limiting it beyond a certain time. I know when I was in college, I used to drink coffee literally before bed and then just go to bed, and I thought that I was totally fine and not affected by caffeine until I got off of it completely. I didn't have caffeine for a year. Aleigh [00:11:05]: And then, I just realized that I was tired all the time and completely dependent on caffeine, and didn't even realize it. So just because you can fall asleep after you have coffee, doesn't mean that it is supportive of your goals to improve your sleep or decrease anxiety. The 4th thing that we can do to overcome anxiety is we can limit or eliminate screen time in social media. I know this is a really big one and extremely controversial, but the studies will show it over and over. They're not only addictive qualities that social media has and that screens have, but the effect that these devices have on our brains is absolutely astounding. I know many people have seen the social dilemma, and if you haven't, then go watch it. You know that we are the product. If the profiles or apps or whatever they are are free to use, then that means that we're the product, which means that the more we're on these screens and devices, the more that these companies are getting paid. Aleigh [00:12:12]: And so not only does the light have an incredible effect on our brains and the quality of sleep that we have. Oh, there's the baby. Alrighty, folks. I am back. Baby's gotta eat when the baby's gotta eat. She just wanted to give her 2¢ about how important it is to limit or eliminate social media and screen. Oh, man. Anyway, I can go on about this, but basically, the effect that some technology and social media has on our brains is huge. Aleigh [00:12:43]: It's actually designed to give us continuous small amounts of feel good hormones, and this can actually wear out our pleasure sensors, which in turn can make it really difficult for us to feel deeply satisfied happy feelings. And so, that is really crazy to think about that. It not only changes our lives while we're using it, but it can also really decrease overall satisfaction with our life when we're not using it. So that's a huge factor and something very simple that we can do to put on the boxing gloves and get in the ring with anxiety, and give it a run for its own money. And the 5th and final thing that we're gonna talk about today is overcoming the negative thoughts that we have in our minds. Something that doctor Raymond says, which is the neurologist that I mentioned before. I'm gonna put a link to his website in the show notes, but he said something that was absolutely life changing for me when I was dealing with some postpartum symptoms with my oldest, and I heard him say, you don't have to believe every stupid thing that you think. And for whatever reason, that was so life changing, because I was finally able to separate my identity with my thoughts. Aleigh [00:14:15]: And I felt like for the first time, I learned what to do with thoughts that I have. And it's something that he talks about how we should learn these skills in 2nd grade, and I absolutely think that is true. And so, anyway, you can find more information on this in his book, and in many of his online resources as well. Oh, the girl wants dessert. And, that just about wraps up our time for today. So remember, number 1, eating better what goes up must go down, and so a lot of the times the foods that we go to for comfort to feel better in the short term will not necessarily make us feel better in the long run, and that includes caffeine. Exercising at least 30 minutes a day can really pump those endorphins. And remember that the most effective exercise is the exercise that you are actually going to do. Aleigh [00:15:09]: And so, start with something that you can stick with and move up from there. Number 3 is sleeping better. And so, we wanna make a really optimal sleep environment for ourselves by eliminating those sleep robbers that will do whatever they can to ensure that we do not get optimal and really be kind to ourselves. Give ourselves a good wind down routine, maybe a bath, a nice shower, a candle, a good book, whatever it is that can help our minds to start slowing down to prepare for that optimal sleep. Number 4 is going to be just limiting screen time in social media whenever possible. And number 5 is gonna be questioning our thoughts. Really thinking about, is what I'm thinking about true? Do I absolutely know it's true? Is this depriving me of valuable things in my life? And if it is, then what is actually true? A lot of the resources and guides for this are gonna be found in the show notes. But I think all of this really starts with taking just a single step. Aleigh [00:16:16]: I know that there are loads of things that we can do to decrease anxiety, but what is just 1 or 2 things that you can do today? I think sometimes we prevent ourselves from taking a single step just because we feel overwhelmed or, like, we can't correct everything all at once. But maybe we can make one healthier dietary choice today. Maybe, we can try wind down routine, or maybe there's a thought that you've been having that has been really cultivating a lot of anxiety in your life. And it's time to show that thing who's boss. And that's all the time we have for today. Thank you so much for listening, and I'll see you next time.