When those feeling of anxiety bubble up, it’s bloody awful. Tightness in the chest, whirring thoughts, feeling panicked. We’ve all felt anxious at some time or another. I’ve had bouts of anxiety over the years and indeed it often visits around Day 6 of my cycle as oestrogen is on the rise! When bad anxiety plagues us or our family members we often don’t know what to do or where to turn. I wanted to share some ideas that may help, but remember, we are all different and it’s important to get professional help. See your GP, ask for support and keep asking if you don’t get what you need. 1. Savoury breakfast to regulate our blood sugarYour blood sugar for the day is hugely influenced by your first meal of the day which means how hungry/hangry/anxious you are throughout the day is determined by that first meal. Try eating a savoury breakfast with protein and healthy fats within 60-90 mins of waking up and see how it can positively affect your mood for the whole day. 2. Magnesium to calm the nervous systemIncrease the amount of magnesium in your diet and look to supplement through epsom salt soaks, magnesium lotion or high quality magnesium bisglycinate. My article on magnesium explains more about the many types of magnesium.3. Fermented food every dayThere is a direct link between our gut health and mood. Ideally we should have fermented food with every meal, but like with everything start low and slow and see how you feel. You could try adding a teaspoon of sauerkraut to a meal once a day or kefir milk. 4. Bring some stillness to your daySpend some time every day calming your nervous system. The easiest ones are taking 10 deep, slow breathes or the bumble bee meditation where you stick your fingers in your ears and hum out in the exhale.
5. Limit screen time, especially social mediaMost of us are constantly distracted by messages and updates from our phone, plus are bombarded with the seemingly perfect, curated lives of others through social media which messes with our self-esteem.
If you can, reduce your screen time whether that’s keeping your phone in another room for part of the day and definitely at night, turning off at least some of your notifications or taking a social media holiday for 1 day a week (go on, give it a whirl!).
It’s obviously hard to police the screentime of the small people/young adults who live with you, but their emotions are even more sensitive to screen time so create boundaries where you can. There are of course many other things which can help anxiety and panic attacks like homeopathy and Bach Flower remedies, CBD oil, talk therapies, time in nature and sport/movement. Also, if you’re interested in the many root causes of anxiety I highly recommend listening to this podcast with holistic psychiatrist Dr Ellen Vora.Know I’m always here if I can help you during the hard days of anxiety, PMS/PMDD or period problems. Drop me a line at hello@taraghosh.com anytime.
Also, many people with anxiety have found my 6-week live course Embrace Your Cyclical Power has really helped their moods, as well as their relationships with themselves and others. Find out more here.
