How I Manage My Anxiety

Sorry I've been a little MIA lately! As some of you may know, my papa passed away at the end of June and the weeks leading up to it were a little bit hectic around here to say the least and I've been really feeling all of the emotions since.

Not only were we with my papa most of our time, my 3-year nephew was living with us as well! It's a little crazy when you're entire routine is turned upside down. But I'm thankful for the chaos because even though things were chaotic, my papa and nephew were with us.

I kept telling myself that once this is all over I'm going to be upset if I keep wishing for the chaos to be over. Because the end of the chaos meant the end of my papas life. I kept reminding myself to be thankful for the present moment. I kept reminding myself to be thankful for the last moments we would share together.

I view death differently than most people. It's part of the process. It's beautiful. The amount of butterflies and dimes and feathers I have seen since his passing is magical. Although it's heartbreaking that he's gone, it's bittersweet. He's not suffering anymore. He's in a better place. He's with so many loved ones. He's always with us. He's home. It's all part of this beautiful thing that we call life.

I trust the process. I surrender to the process. Everything is happening as it should.

All is well - this saying keeps going through my head since his passing.

I've been saying these words to myself every time I get overwhelmed or anxious or sad. Because it's true - all is well and all will always be well. His death helped me gain some perspective. It helped me realize how many things I worry about that don't actually matter

Living with anxiety can be a definite struggle sometimes. And these past few weeks have been filled with anxiety and overwhelm and chaos and new things and new experiences.

I'm not the type of person to take medication - for anything, ever. Well, very very rarely. It's a personal choice. But if you do, it's ok and I'm not judging you.

I don't believe in medications. I don't believe in covering up symptoms; I would rather get to the source of the issue and heal it from there.

There are many many many factors that create illnesses that are not recognized within western medicine. Whenever I get sick or an ache - I immediately want to know why. What am I ignoring? What am I putting too much attention on? Is there something I need to let go of? What is not functioning properly and why?

Our bodies are always speaking to us. If we cover up the messages with medication, how can we listen? I want to listen. If I'm feeling anxious, is it because I'm worrying too much about the future? Am I feeling things because of being an empath? Is there someone or something trying to get me to pay attention?

There are at least two possible sources of anxiety relating to the spiritual/energetic world opposed to science. One is the fear of the future. We are always worried about tomorrow, instead of living in the present moment. We live within the expectations of society, instead of being true to ourselves. People in Peru believe this is where most of western illnesses originate.

Secondly, we have people who have psychic abilities or are sensitive to different energies, but are unaware of their abilities. So when they encounter different people and situations, they can't comprehend what is going on around them and they're unable to control what affects them. This leads to anxiety because they don't know what to do with all the energetic information coming at them. They don't even know what they don't know.

My whole life, I've been an empath and clairsentient. This means that I feel everything. I suffered from social anxiety for years because when I was in a group of people, I was actually feeling the emotions and thoughts and feelings of everyone around me and taking them on as my own. Now that I know this is even a thing, I'm able to protect myself and comprehend the information I'm receiving.

For years, I suffered with digestive issues and still do - it's improving. For years, I would get so anxious about having an appointment or hanging out with people or leaving my house that I would sleep the entire day until the event occurred. I was paralyzed by the anxiety that all I could do was sleep to make it all go away. I would cancel plans all the time. It was hard to tell people why because 1. I didn't fully comprehend that what I was feeling was anxiety and 2. I didn't want to tell people because of fear of what they would think.

But luckily, I've figured out some things that really help me when I'm feeling anxiety about anxiety about anxiety. I'm pretty good at paying attention to what I'm feeling and managing my anxiety. I know my body pretty well because I've taken the time to stop and listen and give my body what it needs. So here we go:

1. Being present:

Breathing. Focusing on my feelings. Digging deep and figuring out where these anxious feelings are coming from. I can't hide from them, but I know it's easier for most to ignore their thoughts because of fear. But, they will keep showing up if we don't allow ourselves to feel them, heal them, and release them.

Sometimes, it's something physical that's creating the anxiety - like I'm in a crowded space and forgot to protect my energy. Sometimes, it's people in the spiritual world trying to get my attention when I'm forgetting to do something - I'm not at their same frequency so I can't interpret what they're saying and it feels like an anxious mess in my head. But I know what this feels like so I will stop and think about it.

2. Essential oils:

I love essential oils. I use them for everything. But seriously, lavender and peace from doterra are my life saviours. I will rub a bit on my wrists and I'm good to go! There are manyyy essential oils that are amazing for different things. Do your research, but be careful because not all can be taken internally or put on the skin.

3. Meditation:

I know, meditation is hard. But it's a practice and there's no right or wrong way to do it. I mean, you can do the whole shebang and have candles and music and pillows and sit for an hour. Or you can simply take 5 minutes in a quiet room alone and focus on your breath. Deep breaths. Let it all go. You will feel so much better. Meditation doesn't have to be hard - we just we make it hard.

4. Self-care:

Do something that makes you feel good. Be alone. Go for a walk in nature. Have a bath. Whatever it is that will help you come back to centre. For me, I need to be alone for a few hours - in silence, or I will be super grumpy to everyone around me and I don't want to treat people poorly.

5. Naturopath:

I love naturopaths. They're able to get the source of a problem and ask your body what will work for it by using various techniques such as muscle testing.. I choose this over being prescribed medications that will cover up symptoms and you may have to try a bunch of different ones to find one that works. About a year ago, a lot of my anxiety was coming from a blockage in my heart chakra. So I was given natural supplements to help with that!

6. Reiki and energy healing:

If you've never tried Reiki before, it's amazing! Even if you think it's crazy and doesn't work. Just try it. You'll be amazed by how relaxed you feel. And if that's the only benefit you experience, that's perfect. So many people tell me that they sleep better, they haven't felt that relaxed in year, and that they could actually turn their brains off for an hour. Since I'm a Reiki practitioner, I do self-healing quite frequently to manage my anxiety!

7. Adaptogens:

These various herbs grow in such stressful environments that when we consume them, they help us manage stressful situations more effectively. One of my favourite's in ashwagandha because it decreases cortisol levels, decreases stress, anxiety, and even depression. Also, reishi is amazing because it reduces anxiety as well and improves mental clarity. I tend to add these herbs into my smoothies or hot drinks - depending on how I'm feeling.

What do you do to manage your anxiety? Share with me!

Love Lisa xo