Strategies to Manage Anxiety and Stress

I shared this information at a meeting of young moms in 2024, but the information applies for people of all life stages and genders. It's a list of my favorite recommendations for clients working to regulate their thoughts and nervous systems to manage anxiety and stress.

Strategies to Manage Anxiety and Stress 

Calming Thought-Based Anxiety:

Looks Like/Feels Like: Worrying, Overthinking, Racing Thoughts, Insomnia, Difficulty Focusing/Organizing, Confusion, Negative Thoughts and Cognitive Distortions

Strategies to Help:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Journaling & Bullet Journaling
• Making Lists, Using a planner
• Talking About It
• Meditation or Prayer
• Breathing Exercises (Vagus Nerve)
• Grounding Exercises
• Coloring, Crochet, knitting, quilting

Resources: Lots of Great Mindfulness and Meditation Apps – Happify, Headspace, Calm, etc..., Look up Bullet Journals on Pinterest!

Calming Your Nervous System & Physical Anxiety Symptoms:

Looks Like/Feels Like: Racing Heart, Shakiness, Dizziness, Muscle Tension and Pain, Gastro Symptoms: Nausea or Diarrhea, Fatigue, Headaches

Strategies to Help:

• Breathing Exercises – Count to 10 or Box Breathing
• Vagus Nerve Conditioning Activities – Deep Breathing, Singing, Cold Water Therapy, Ear Massage, Neck Stretches
• Bilateral Movement: Walking, Running, Swimming, Biking, Dancing, Weightlifting
• Binaural Music, Vagus Nerve Stimulation Music
• Tapping – EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)
• Stretching/Yin Yoga/Somatic Exercises
• Yoga
• Magnesium: Supplements, Gummies, Epsom Salt Soak, Oil
• Trampoline
• Massage, foam rollers, massage balls

Resources:

CalmRadio App: Vagus Nerve Conditioning & Binaural Music, Meditation Activities

The Tapping Solution App and Website

YouTube has free videos and music – Yoga, YinYoga, and Somatic workouts and Binaural Music

Apple Music and Spotify also have binaural music

Create a Peaceful and Therapeutic Environment at Home:

Calm the Senses and Reduce Overstimulation/Overload. The more calming and peaceful your home environment is, the calmer and more peaceful the people in it will feel – and behave.

Visual: Organize and De-Clutter. Visual clutter overwhelms and causes stress and anxiety

• Give kids access to fewer clothes, toys, and books at a time
• Purge your own closet, drawers, desk, kitchen cabinets, pantry, storage areas, car, etc...
• Use gentle lighting in your home
• Sounds: Noise causes stress and triggers anxiety
• Use calming/ambient music
• Reduce/Eliminate Loud TV noise
• Use calm and quiet voices

Smells:

• Use Aromatherapy – lavender or other calming essential oils in baths or diffused in the house
• Soft and clean scents
• Avoid cleaners, candles, air fresheners with harsh scents

Touch:

• Weighted blankets
• Comfy/Calming Textiles
• Bean bags
• Relaxing baths
• Rockers
• Swings & Hammocks
• Sit & Spin Toy
• Legos, Play-Doh, Blocks, Puzzles
• Back Rubs, Foot Rubs, Head Rubs, Back Scratches
• Snuggle with people and Pets

Improve Your Sleep -- Create Bedtime Routines for the Whole Family

• Set and Stick to Bedtimes for Adults and Kids (This one is hard for moms!)

• Wind-Down Routine: 1 Hour Before Bed – Reduce Noise, Turn Off Electronics, Dim Lights

• Don’t Overuse Melatonin! Opt for Magnesium, Lavender, Chamomile, Meditation Music, etc...

• Be careful of Caffeine and Alcohol late in the day – Both can impair sleep

Nutrition -- Improve Your Nutrition and Gut Health to Improve Your Mental Health

• Clean, Whole Foods When Possible

• Avoid/Limit Processed Food (IT IS BAD FOR US! Low nutritional value, causes inflammation, food triggers)

• Keep Weeknight Meals Simple and Easy – Get Creative and Ambitious on the Weekend 

• SlowCookerMeals,SkilletMeals,PreppedMeals,FrozenMeals

• It’s Okay to Have a Rotation of Quick Easy Healthy Meals for Weeknights

Physical Health Impacts Mental Health

• It’s good for your children when you model taking good care of yourself.

• Regular Checkups and Bloodwork: Vitamin D, Iron, B Vitamins, Magnesium, Blood Sugar, Hormones, etc...

• Take a good Multivitamin & Probiotics

• Supplements to support mental health: GABA, Magnesium, Vitamin D, L-Theanine, 5-HTP, Ashwaganda, L-Methylfolate

• Movement is good for the whole family: walks, bike rides, playing outside, playing with pets, trips to the park or beach

Create a Support System

• Connect with other people and HELP ONE ANOTHER

• Connect with positive, supportive mentors who will share wisdom and life hacks

• Ask for help from family, neighbors and friends – and help them, too

Get mental health support if you need it.

• Therapy is good for everyone. We can all use unconditional support and an outside perspective sometimes.

• If you need medication to help regulate your brain chemistry or relieve your anxiety symptoms, it’s okay.

• If you are a survivor of trauma or past abuse, it’s important to get help to heal so that you can be the happiest and healthiest version of yourself – for yourself and for your family. 

Resources: Local Therapists, Headway or Alma for local and Telehealth options, Betterhelp for online therapy

How to Do The Work by Dr. Nicole LePera

 

How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self 

Dr. LePera does a great job of explaining how past experiences shape our emotional and nervous-system responses to current events and triggers, and she presents a range of holistic strategies to address problematic thought patterns and help heal the nervous system. Each chapter includes activities to reflect on the information presented. I love the first-hand experiences and struggle Dr. LePera shares from her own healing journey and how accessible her writing is -- she explains the neuroscience of trauma responses and trauma healing in reader-friendly language that everyone can understand.

Re-Regulated by Anna Runkle

 

Re-Regulated: Set Your Life Free from Childhood PTSD and the Trauma-Driven Behaviors That Keep You Stuck

Anna Runkle shares information and strategies she learned on her own journey of healing from childhood trauma and Complex PTSD. She explains C-PTSD and the resulting nervous system dysregulation that impacts survivors of childhood trauma and shares re-regulation strategies including a daily writing exercise that helps to calm the mind and body.