On a typical morning, Laura grabbed a muffin and a coffee before rushing out the door. As a busy real estate agent, her days were packed with client meetings and showings, leaving little time for a proper lunch. By the time she picked up her kids from school and started dinner, she was starving, irritable and on edge. From the outside, Laura looked like she had it all together. Inside, though, she was drowning in anxiety.

Her story is more common than we realize.

What is anxiety?

In the United States, about 1 in 5 adults experience anxiety disorder. Women are twice as likely as men to struggle with anxiety, partly because anxiety symptoms often worsen during periods of hormonal change — puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause.

How does anxiety show up? Some people notice physical signs — racing heart, dizziness, chest tightness, headaches or changes in appetite. Others feel it mentally — persistent thoughts of worry, irritability, brain fog or a sense of being “on edge.” While some anxiety is a normal response to stress, ongoing symptoms can make everyday life much harder.

Treatment approaches range from therapy and medication to lifestyle changes. Today, we’ll focus on one key but often overlooked piece of the puzzle: nutrition.

How nutrition affects mental health

The relationship between food and mental health is complex. Researchers still debate cause and effect, but evidence is clear on one point: what and how we eat can influence how we feel.

Is your diet making you anxious?

• Skipping meals can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, leading to dizziness, irritability, headaches and even palpitations — the same symptoms many people associate with anxiety.
  
• Protein provides the building blocks for hormones and neurotransmitters. Without enough protein, the brain struggles to produce serotonin and dopamine — key chemicals that regulate mood and sleep.
  
• Micronutrients — vitamins, minerals and antioxidants — support hundreds of tiny reactions inside our cells that keep the brain and nervous system running smoothly. A deficiency in even one or two micronutrients can have a big impact on our mental wellbeing.

Nutrients that support brain health and mental well-being

Let’s break down some of the key nutrients linked to mental wellbeing and lowered anxiety — and where to find them.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Known for supporting heart health, Omega-3s essential fatty acids (EFAs) are crucial for mood regulation and cognition. Symptoms of deficiency in Omega-3s can include fatigue, mood swings and poor circulation. Best sources include oily fish, chia seeds, flaxseeds and walnuts. Because studies show that most women are at risk of deficiency or at suboptimal levels, Omega-3 supplementation can be beneficial to restore healthy levels of EFAs.

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Probiotics

The gut and brain are deeply connected. Healthy gut bacteria aid digestion, nutrient absorption and vitamin production, while also influencing serotonin and cortisol levels to balance mood. Probiotic foods include yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha and brine-fermented pickles. Our Super Biotic multi-strain probiotic contains L. rhamnosus and B. longum, which studies indicate can help with symptoms of depression and anxiety.

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Antioxidants (Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium)

Most of us aren’t getting enough antioxidant compounds to protect our brains from the oxidative stress caused by free radicals — and that matters more than we realize. Oxidative stress doesn’t just affect physical health; it also disrupts brain function, interfering with neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA that help regulate mood and calm the nervous system.

When oxidative stress builds up, anxiety can worsen. Unfortunately, diets high in processed foods and sugar only fuel the problem, increasing inflammation and oxidative damage. To help restore balance and protect your brain, focus on getting more antioxidants, both from your diet and from a high-quality supplement designed to fill in the gaps. Colorful, antioxidant-rich foods like berries, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, beets, herbs, and spices such as turmeric and ginger help strengthen your body’s defenses and support a calmer, more resilient mind.

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Zinc

Essential for hundreds of cellular processes and supports GABA, a neurotransmitter that calms the nervous system, zinc is found in seafood (especially oysters), poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains and dairy.

B Vitamins

The eight B vitamins — collectively called the B complex — help convert food into energy. Deficiency can cause mood swings, irritability and confusion. Rich food sources include salmon, leafy greens, organ meats, eggs, dairy, legumes and nutritional yeast. Note: birth control pills and vegetarian diets have been shown to deplete B vitamins.

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Magnesium

Involved in over 300 body processes, magnesium helps regulate cortisol, the stress hormone. It also calms overactive neurotransmitters by boosting GABA. Unfortunately, about 70% of us don’t get enough magnesium. Supplementation can be helpful, especially in the highly absorbable form of magnesium bisglycinate. Foods include nuts, seeds, legumes, quinoa, leafy greens, avocados, bananas and dark chocolate.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D supports serotonin production and helps regulate the body’s stress response. Low levels are strongly linked with anxiety and depression, yet around 42% of Americans are deficient (the number jumps to 85% in menopausal women!). Good sources include eggs, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), mushrooms, fortified grains and cheese. Testing and supplementation may be necessary.

Eating for mental wellbeing

Looking at this list, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But the takeaway isn’t that you need to track every nutrient obsessively. Instead, focus on eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods consistently and supplementing where you know you have gaps to fill. Diets modeled after the Mediterranean style — rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, fish, olive oil, nuts and legumes — are strongly associated with better mental health outcomes.

The opposite is also true: diets high in processed foods, sugar and refined carbs are linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression. 

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The missing piece of the puzzle for Laura

When Laura shifted from coffee and a banana to a protein-rich breakfast with healthy fats and complex carbs, she noticed a dramatic difference in the way she felt. Her energy steadied, her headaches faded and her constant feelings of anxiety softened. 

But it wasn’t until she had a complete nutrient panel done at a local med spa that she discovered the missing piece of the puzzle: a vitamin deficiency. She worked with her provider to supplement appropriately and before long the anxiety was becoming more manageable, and she was feeling like herself again.

If you’re struggling with anxiety, nutrition is only one piece of the puzzle. But it’s a powerful one. Start by asking:

• Am I skipping meals?
• Do I eat enough protein and healthy fats?
• Is my diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables?
• Do I include foods that support my gut health?

Start by experimenting with one or two changes and notice how you feel. And if you’re concerned you’re not meeting your nutrient needs, talk with a healthcare provider about testing or supplements.

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The post The surprising link between diet and anxiety appeared first on Women's Health Network.

Healthy eating habits are driven by a person’s hunger cues, but emotional eating is driven by feelings, mood and stress levels. In that emotional headspace, unhealthy ultra-processed foods high in sugar, seed oils and salt can be hard to resist.

Do you need help tuning back into your hunger cues and healthy eating patterns? Here are the surprisingly simple steps you can take to start healing your relationship with food.

Emotional eating is not your fault. Here’s why

Let’s start with an understanding of how emotions and eating can become so entangled in the first place. Our brains are designed to function in predictable patterns. These patterns become hardwired from an early age. As children, we are often offered food as comfort, reward or celebration. Our brain begins to associate these emotional experiences with food. When we feel stress, worry or even boredom, our brains will cue us to crave a particular food to cope with that emotion.

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It is typical for people who are emotionally eating to turn to comfort foods, like chips or cookies, or other ultra-processed foods high in sugar, fat and salt. Here’s the reason why: sugar paired with fat and salt activates the part of our brains associated with addiction. Big food companies know this and that’s why they hire chemists, psychologists and engineers to design processed foods that contain these ingredients. Essentially, “Big Food” spends millions of dollars to figure out how to get us to engage in emotional eating!

How can you overcome emotional eating? Try these 10 steps

The relationship between food and emotion is complex. But we can overcome emotional eating by first developing an awareness of the thoughts and feelings that are driving our behavior, and then by learning some healthier coping mechanisms.

Recognize the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger

Learning to distinguish between physical hunger and emotional “hunger” is a powerful first step in knowing how to address it.

Physical hunger:

• Comes on slowly and can wait
• Can be satiated by a variety of nourishing, nutritious foods
• Comes at expected times of day
• Can stop when full
• You feel satisfied and energized after eating
• It doesn’t trigger a negative emotional response

Emotional hunger:

• Comes on all of a sudden and can’t wait (there’s a feeling of being driven to eat)
• Can only be satisfied by particular foods, generally comfort foods or salt, sugar, fat foods
• Comes on in response to specific stressors, such as a bad day at work
• Can’t stop when full
• Triggers feelings of guilt and shame

Bringing awareness to your eating

People with a high level of emotional awareness are less likely to struggle with emotional eating. Unfortunately, many of us aren’t taught how to identify or process our emotions. Instead, we use food or other coping mechanisms to avoid or repress them. 

You can begin to cultivate awareness by simply noticing what’s happening at the moment when you know you’re eating out of emotion, rather than hunger. Instead of being judgmental or beating yourself up over your behavior, simply get curious. What are the circumstances that are going on in the moment? What are you thinking? How do you feel? Stressed? Sad? Lonely? Angry? Bored? Worn out?

Track your food and mood

Tracking your food and mood at regular intervals during the day can deepen your growing emotional awareness and help you understand how your mood impacts your eating patterns. Keep a journal and write down your overall mood and emotion before and after eating, and any physiological feelings you are having (a heavy chest, tightness in your shoulders or jaw, jitteriness) as well as any food cravings you are experiencing. Even after only a short time, you might begin to notice patterns between how you feel and why you are turning to certain foods.

Find some healthy coping mechanisms that do not involve food

Once you’ve become more aware of your feelings, get curious about some ways you might better meet your own needs. You can ask yourself, “How can I cope with this feeling in a healthier way?” Make a list of activities that are quick and easy to manage. They may include phoning a friend, going for a walk, doing some breathwork or making a cup of tea.

This approach was a game-changer for one of my clients struggling with late-night snacking. Initially, Michelle said she honestly had no idea how she was feeling when we explored this step. I asked how she might figure that out and she thought that she might try journaling while she sat down with her late-night snack.

The following week she was elated to report that she figured out that she was eating every night because she was bored. It was a huge relief to her to realize that it wasn’t a matter of willpower, it was a symptom of feeling bored and a little bit lonely. Her children were grown and gone. She was retired from her career as a nurse, and she no longer felt needed. After some exploration, Michelle decided to take up some old hobbies including needlepointing, and to find some volunteer work to give her a better sense of purpose. Michelle’s late-night snacking disappeared almost instantly. 

Engineer your environment — inside and out

You may not be able to control your cravings, but it is possible to control some elements of your environment. Not bringing tempting foods in the house or changing your commute home so you don’t drive past your favorite fast food can significantly reduce temptations.

You also want to pay attention to the inner environment of your body. Food cravings can be a prime symptom of hormonal imbalance, especially for women experiencing chronic stress and/or entering perimenopause and menopause. Find out if an overlapping physiological imbalance in your hormones could be intensifying your emotional eating. We have a free quiz to help you do just that! If you have a hormonal imbalance, you can try a natural supplement like our Herbal Equilibrium to restore balance and remove this “inner block” to healthy eating patterns.

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Develop a different mindset around food

If you were raised to see food as a reward or treat, you may find you are more likely to experience cravings driven by emotion. To escape these patterns, developing a mindset where you see food as fuel and a source of nourishment can be a powerful step. Eating small meals and snacks throughout the day can help train your brain to understand that good food is always coming — you don’t need to do anything special to deserve it!

Be sure to eat regularly

Another reason to establish a meal and snack schedule? If we let ourselves get to the point that we are over-hungry, we are much more likely to make less nutritious food choices and overeat. Begin to notice your body’s hunger cues. When you get to the point where you’re feeling hungry, have a snack. It can be helpful to have some nutrient-dense snacks on hand. 

Hydrate

When we are dehydrated, our bodies aren’t as able to metabolize glycogen for energy. This is why sugar cravings can be a sign of dehydration. Additionally, we can often mistake hunger for thirst. So the next time you’re hit with a craving, try drinking a glass of water and waiting for a few minutes to allow your body to adapt and the craving to pass. Many people find that they have fewer cravings when they have had plenty of water to drink throughout the day. 

Swap out the processed foods for more nutrient-dense counterparts

Researchers are finding that the more we resist foods, the more strongly we may experience cravings. This is one reason restricting foods and relying on willpower just doesn’t work. So, if you’re craving a burger, go on and have one. Maybe instead of fast food, you make one at home. If you’re craving something sweet, rather than ice cream, try a greek yogurt with honey or some berries. Make small changes and you’ll likely find your taste buds will adapt over time. 

Bonus tip: Filling nutritional gaps with a multivitamin can help make sure you have all the micronutrients on board that you need to fully utilize nutrients in your foods.

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What will your story be?

Overcoming emotional eating and achieving healthier habits demands understanding, patience and compassion. Emotional eating isn’t about lacking willpower — it’s a deeply ingrained response molded by our experiences and environment. But developing awareness and then making small but meaningful shifts in mindset and behavior, like finding new coping methods, adjusting our surroundings and fueling our bodies properly, sets us on the path to lasting change. Remember, the journey is gradual, marked by self-discovery, resilience and growth.

Important note about Binge Eating Disorder: Emotional eating can often be a symptom of binge eating disorder, or it may go hand in hand with depression or mood disorder. In these cases, it may be important to seek help from a qualified mental health expert.

The post Emotional eating: redefining your relationship with food appeared first on Women's Health Network.

Embarking on a journey of change, whether it’s related to your health, well-being, or any aspect of your life, can be a challenging and deeply personal endeavor. Change is not always easy, and it often tests our commitment and resilience. One way to help make making a lifestyle change a little easier is to understand the process of change. 

I recently worked with a client Jill in this area. I am sharing parts of her journey (with permission) to illustrate how these stages of lifestyle change come into play. And how you can successfully move through them with a little more ease. To empower you to create a healthier lifestyle and get lasting results, I am also sharing a framework you can use to help you navigate your path to personal growth with more awareness and confidence. 

Jill’s story of change

Jill, a 43-year-old busy working mom of 9-year-old twins, was an avid competitive skier. But she hadn’t been exercising regularly outside of her weekend ski hobby since becoming a mom. For years, Jill was so busy focusing on balancing her successful career with being a great parent that she didn’t realize she was on the trajectory to less than optimal health.

At an annual checkup visit, Jill’s doctor pointed out that she had put on a few extra pounds over the last several years. And her cholesterol numbers were slightly elevated. Jill wanted to feel stronger so she could continue her success with skiing. She knew she needed to incorporate regular exercise into her lifestyle, but wasn’t quite sure how. Hearing her doctor tell her that her weight and her cholesterol were up, coupled with the concern of not being strong enough to be as successful as she was with the sport she loved, got her thinking about making a change. 

When Jill and I started working together, she told me that although she wanted to be stronger and knew she should be working out more consistently. She simply didn’t have enough time. She was working full-time and extremely successful at her job. But, she said, her most important role was to be the best mom she could be. She simply wasn’t willing to take time away from parenting to exercise. The challenge to balance work, parenting and self care is real. And this internal struggle was causing a kind of mental tug-of-war for Jill. 

So to help move her through the mental process of change so she could achieve real and lasting results, we worked together to create a picture of what life would look like if she was working out consistently and back to a healthy weight. She thought about how this change would impact her family, her work, her hobbies, her mood and energy levels. She envisioned spending more time being active with her kids and creating lasting memories with them. Then she considered what life would look like if she stayed on this trajectory and didn’t make a change. Considering the pros and cons of making a change helped Jill see how important her goal really was to her. The consequences of staying stuck weighed more heavily on her than the challenge of changing.  

We began by taking a look at Jill’s schedule and identifying all the potential obstacles that could get in the way of making the lifestyle change to exercise more. Then she started gathering some information to make practical preparations for the change ahead.

Although at one point in her life, Jill had a gym membership, at this stage in her life, she said, there was no way she was going to go to a gym. She recognized that she did have a little time in the mornings before the kids were up for breakfast. So she thought that she might be able to squeeze in a 15-minute workout at home. Her first goal was to simply do some research. She set out to find a 15-minute workout video on a streaming service that seemed “doable” for her.

Once she found a video and the time to do it, she looked at her family’s schedule. She identified two mornings and one afternoon that would work for her. She felt fairly confident about putting her plan into action

By setting a clear and achievable goal with small steps and considering her obstacles (time, her children’s needs) and her level of confidence, Jill was setting herself up for success. If Jill had been thinking she needed to work out for an hour a day at a gym, she would likely have felt defeated. She might have moved right back to a state of inaction. But by thinking like Goldilocks and setting a goal that was “just right” and met her where she was, she was ready to take action towards her goal.

After the first week, I had Jill reflect on her success. She realized that did something she previously thought wasn’t possible. What a great feeling! The workout was harder than she thought. But by the third session she felt like she was getting the hang of it. She repeated the process of looking at her schedule and picking three days to exercise. She told her family what she was doing and put her workouts on the family calendar so they wouldn’t interrupt her. 

After a few weeks, Jill realized that mornings really did work better for her. She was getting used to waking up earlier, and found she was even waking up before the alarm clock most days! She was able to do a 15-minute workout 5 mornings a week fairly consistently and was feeling great! 

Her self-efficacy was improving. She was starting to believe in her ability to take action towards her goal. This feeling of empowerment and possibility provided a source of motivation she didn’t have before. After a few weeks, Jill told me she thought she was ready to try the Level 2 workouts in the series. 

Then, life happened. Jill had a series of work trips coming up, which would disrupt her morning schedule. She had to back up and spend some time thinking about how she would handle this obstacle. Jill again weighed the pros and cons of working out on her trip, a little more quickly this time. She decided that sticking to her routine would be better than backsliding into her old patterns. She got right to work on a plan. Since she would be bringing her laptop, she could do the workout in her hotel room before her breakfast meetings. She would need to bring a yoga mat, but that could fit in her suitcase. Jill was ready to take action. 

Jill followed through on her workouts on the road. Once she was back home, she began seeing some ways this new behavior was becoming a part of who she was. And how it was positively impacting other areas of her life. She noticed that her husband started pitching a little more around the house to help her find more balance. One day, she came home to find her daughter on her yoga mat trying out the workout for herself. Jill recognized that she was modeling behavior and people she loved were responding positively.

At this point, Jill felt so great that she mentioned she was considering scaling back to 2-3 days/ week. I explained to her that there was still work to be done to sustain this new lifestyle change and prevent relapse. We reflected on her vision and long-term goals. I pointed out that the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends 150 minutes of exercise per week. This meant that Jill was about halfway. At this point she had developed the confidence and the system for executing the workouts. She considered this new information and quickly decided she would soon be able to increase the amount of time she moved, possibly adding some walks into her routine. 

The next time we met, Jill told me she had another trip coming up. But this time she knew what to do and felt confident based on her previous success. She had already contacted the hotel to ask about their fitness room, which was closed for repairs. But Jill knew that she would figure out a workaround. She even went to the grocery store to pick up some healthy snacks she could have on hand so she wouldn’t be tempted by all the sweets and snacks that would be offered all weekend. Jill was beginning to see herself as a person who is committed to movement. Regular exercise was becoming a part of her identity. She was really showing up for herself and her confidence was growing. 

A Framework for Lifestyle Change

In the late 1970s, researchers Prochaska and DiClemente developed a framework they called the Stages of Change to explain the mental processes people go through when making positive and lasting lifestyle changes to improve their health. All these years later, this framework still works! By understanding these stages and the mental processes that accompany them, you can navigate your path to personal growth with more awareness and confidence. 

Precontemplation

When we are either unaware of or resistant to the need for a lifestyle change, we are in the precontemplation stage. We may be resistant to change for a lot of reasons. Maybe we have tried before, but we’ve failed. We may feel defeated or demoralized. Or, we might not even think we have a problem that needs changing. Either way, when we are in this stage, it’s not likely we will take any action in the near future. 

If you find yourself in this stage, it can be helpful to consciously consider the benefits of making a change, to think about how the change will benefit you and the people you love, as well as to consider the consequences of staying the same. Often when we are in this stage, we find ourselves focusing only on the obstacles to making the change. Shifting our focus to the benefits of what lies ahead can help encourage us along to the next stage.

Contemplation

When we recognize the need for change and are considering taking action in the very near future, but aren’t quite ready to commit yet, we are in the contemplation phase. 

If you find yourself in this stage, recognize and celebrate that this is a great first step! Then start learning more about the change you want to make. Find out why it’s important and how it can benefit you. Take some time to think about your reasons for wanting to change and what might be holding you back. Think about how you’ll do it and what you might need to make it happen. 

It can be helpful to talk to people who have gone through a similar change. It’s also helpful to talk to someone you trust, like a friend or family member or a coach, about your thoughts and goals. They can support you on this journey. 

It’s important to take your time in this stage and gather all the information you need before moving forward. It’s okay to have mixed feelings, but when you’re ready, you can move on to the preparation stage where you’ll start to make a plan to take action.

Preparation

When we are actively planning to make a change, we are in the preparation stage. This stage is about goal setting, information gathering, and making practical preparations for the change.

If you find yourself here, start by setting a clear and achievable goal for the change you want to make. Make a plan that includes small steps you can take to get there. It’s important to focus on small actionable steps rather than focusing on making an overhaul and changing everything at once. It can be particularly helpful to identify some obstacles that might come up along the way and make a plan to address each. 

It’s common for people to rush through the preparation stage and take action too quickly. If we jump into the action stage too quickly before our minds are ready, we set ourselves up for failure. 

In fact this is likely the reason that over 70% of diets fail. Most weight loss plans or diets start at the action phase by giving you actions, or steps to transform your health. The steps are great and they will work, but only if your mind is in the action stage. If your mind is still in contemplation or preparation and you are taking action steps, chances are that the change won’t be sustainable.

Action

When we are actively doing the things we planned to do to make a positive change, we are officially in the action phase. Here, we are taking real steps to transform our behavior or situation like actually starting to choose better foods and changing eating habits. This stage can feel exciting and challenging at the same time.

If you find yourself here, it’s important to stay focused, keep at it, and be patient with yourself because making a change can take time and effort. We want to think of challenging ourselves like Goldilocks. Doing things that are not too hard, not too easy, but just the right amount of challenge keeps us in the sweet spot of the action stage. 

Maintenance

Once we’ve successfully made the change we wanted to make, we have officially entered the maintenance stage. Here, there’s still work to be done to sustain the new behavior and prevent relapse. This stage can last for an extended period.

Termination

Some models add a termination stage, which represents a state where we have no temptation to return to the old behavior. Not everyone reaches this stage, but when it comes to making lifestyle changes, this is exactly what we are aiming for: To be in a place where the new behavior is just a part of who we are and not something we have to try hard to do. 

Lifestyle Change: An important note!

It’s important to remember that change is a dynamic and cyclical process. We are all moving back and forth along this continuum as we progress through change. People may need different strategies and support at various stages. 

Your Lifestyle Change Journey
In your journey toward change, remember that every step, from contemplation to preparation and into action, is a crucial part of your success. Take your time, set achievable goals, and gather the information you need. Don’t rush through the stages; it’s all part of the process. Just like our case study with Jill, you too can make meaningful and lasting changes in your health and well-being. Keep moving forward, and stay committed to your vision for a healthier and happier you.

You’ve got this!

The post Struggling to make a lifestyle change? Here’s what a health coach wants you to know appeared first on Women's Health Network.

It’s estimated that over 80 million Americans have been infected with Covid-19.  Of those, a shocking number have suffered long-term effects.  Some of the most common and lasting symptoms of Covid are psychological — depression, anxiety, mood disorders, even psychosis. 

So if you’ve had Covid but still don’t feel you’re recovered mentally, you are not alone.  You should also know these problems are not “in your head.” There are almost certainly physical factors involved, and you may be able to help your own recovery.

The latest data

According to startling new research published in The Lancet, as many as one third of all Covid sufferers develop Covid-related depression, anxiety or other neuropsychiatric conditions within six months of contracting the virus. The study analyzed post-Covid health records of over 230,000 women and men to reach these findings.

Researchers tried to explain why mental health issues are a “long Covid” symptom for so many, and in doing so, stumbled upon another intriguing discovery: depression and anxiety appear to develop regardless of whether the case of Covid was mild or severe.  

This is important because it means that it’s more than the lingering damage from a severe infection. If it were, we would expect that the more severe your Covid symptoms, the higher your risk for depression would be — but it isn’t, so what’s going on? 

There is lots of evidence that Covid creates a range of neurological problems, including inflammation that may cause changes in the brain. But we also know that Covid — whether mild or severe — can trigger a torrent of troubling emotions, from worry about job loss to guilt over infecting family members to shame over the need to quarantine to the sheer loneliness of prolonged isolation. 

Conventional medicine tends to pick apart our health into distinct issues.  But that’s not how our bodies work. Our thoughts and our biology are woven together. So almost certainly, it’s the interplay between these “social” and “organic” factors that determines our mental health post-Covid. And really, this understanding is good news, because you can do something about factors within your control, especially the ones that involve your own thoughts and perceptions. 

Are you feeling down even after you’ve recovered from the virus? Don’t blame yourself, or think it’s all in your head — but don’t feel helpless either.  When you act on the factors you can control, you help yourself heal.  Here are some steps to try:

Reframe your perspective

Catastrophic thinking is a learned cognitive bias in which our brains start to select and highlight facts that confirm a certain fear, and ignore those that contradict it. Most of us have done a lot of catastrophic thinking in the past year and all this anxiety, worry and “doom scrolling” hasn’t helped anyone’s mental health. 

The next time you notice yourself dwelling on catastrophic thinking, try consciously challenging your negative thoughts. When you’re  “catastrophizing,” you might start out with a thought such as, “I feel bad today.” This thought may then expand to, “It’s only going to get worse,” or “I’ll never get better.” 

As you notice these thoughts, step in and literally say out loud, “Stop!” or “No more!” Next, use deep breathing, positive affirmations, meditation, journaling and other stress relief techniques to help you let go of irrational fears and refocus your thoughts. Over time, these techniques will make it easier and easier to restore perspective. 

In her book, The Work, author and healer Byron Katie wrote powerfully about how this process of remaining alert to and questioning stressful thoughts changed her entire outlook on life: “I discovered that when I believed my thoughts I suffered, but when I didn’t believe them I didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being. Freedom is as simple as that. I found that suffering is optional. I found a joy within me that has never disappeared, not for a single moment. That joy is in everyone, always.”

All of this isn’t to diminish the very real suffering that’s happened during Covid. The practice of reframing your perspective is meant to help you make sure you’re not carrying an even heavier burden — a habit of thought that blocks your healing. 

Support your stress response 

When you are under chronic stress, the constant tripping off of the body’s fight-or-flight response can create adrenal hormone imbalances and lowered thyroid function, leading to problems with mood regulation. 

When thyroid function slows during stress, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) hormone levels fall. If they fall low enough, you can enter into a state of hypothyroidism (low thyroid). Symptoms of low thyroid include fatigue and depression. 

In your recovery from Covid, you want to make sure that you are supporting your adrenal glands and thyroid so that stress-related issues don’t contribute to your depression risk. You can take our free Hormonal imbalance quiz to learn more about stress-related hormonal symptoms you may be experiencing. 

Covid depression — a sign you need more Vitamin D 

Research has consistently shown a link between Vitamin D deficiency and depression, including a 2013 meta-analysis that found that, statistically, people with low Vitamin D status were at much greater risk for depression.

Most adults in the US have suboptimal or deficient levels of Vitamin D, especially now after the long winter months and before the sun is direct enough to start producing Vitamin D in the skin. 

Fortunately, you can easily do something about Vitamin D deficiency, starting with daily supplementation with a good Vitamin D supplement. Plus, Vitamin D comes with the big bonus of strengthening your immune function — that’s why the data shows healthy levels even reduce the risk of severe Covid in the first place.

Natural antidepressants 

In my work with women, I have found that a combination approach to lifting symptoms of depression generally offers better symptom resolution and long-term results than any one single thing. In addition to steps I’ve outlined above, other natural holistic approaches to mood support include:

• Talk therapy or counseling
• Body work methods, such as craniosacral therapy (CST), osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT), therapeutic massage
• Acupuncture
• Targeted amino acid support, such as SAM-e or GABA
• Diet changes to reduce excess sugar
• Other nutritional supplements like a high quality multivitamin and omega-3 fatty acids
• Full-spectrum light therapy

Meeting with an integrative or alternative health care practitioner can be a great way to put together a plan to meet your individual mental and physical needs as you recover from Covid.

Covid depression: stay focused on your well-being 

Mental health self-care is something we can all benefit from, whether we’ve had the virus or not. This has been a difficult year, and even as the pandemic wanes, we all still need to take the best care of ourselves possible.

Whenever you can, practice even a few minutes of self-care. It really helps! 

The post A lasting side effect of Covid? For many, it’s depression appeared first on Women's Health Network.

Back in 2007, Oprah Winfrey created a huge controversy when she invited a medical doctor on her talk show to argue that low thyroid in women may be the result of unexpressed emotions. For the many millions of women with hypothyroidism in America, the idea that their disorder could be a byproduct of repressed anger was a true wake up call. But conventional medicine had the opposite reaction, and its backlash was immediate and intense. Mainstream media decried the repressed anger theory as quackery and called for Oprah to stop peddling “bad medicine.”

We’re now a dozen years out from this controversy, and a lot of thyroid research has happened since then. It’s amazing to look at the science today and then look back at that infamous episode on Oprah because … you know what?

Oprah was right about repressed anger. And everyone should know why.

The biology of anger

Conventional medical thinking on the thyroid and emotions has always been a one-way street. If your thyroid is underactive, it will make you depressed or cause mood swings. If it’s overactive, it can make you anxious, angry or manic. But none of the body’s systems are one-way streets. If a poorly functioning thyroid causes negative emotions, then why can’t negative emotions impair the thyroid? Well, we now have the evidence to explain how this can occur.

Let’s start by looking at what anger does to the body. At the most basic level, anger is a threat response — the “fight” in fight-or-flight. The experience of anger is associated in part with the chemistry of stress hormones — cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine (which most of us know as adrenaline).

Cortisol is the most important of these to thyroid function. It’s long been known that cortisol influences thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in that excess cortisol suppresses TSH. This in turn causes the thyroid to produce less of its key hormones. Chronic cortisol release from ongoing stress can also tip the scales toward autoimmune thyroid disease.

That burst of cortisol shouldn’t impact thyroid function under normal circumstances, because bursts of stress hormones should be short-lived.

But in the modern world, we’re constantly “under threat” from a barrage of sources. Conflicts and demands seem to never go away and problems have no solutions. So our fight-or-flight response is almost constantly on.

Since there’s no respite from this stress, suppression of thyroid function becomes more and more likely too. And this “fight” response does more than just suppress the thyroid’s hormone output. It can also trigger an immune response — which can do damage to the thyroid itself.

Ever feel like your life is spiraling downward? Sometimes your thyroid feels that way too! To understand why, we have to learn about an agent called IL-6.

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How do IL-6 and inflammation affect thyroid and immune function

One of the more intriguing findings of recent research is the relationship of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) to stress — and specifically to anger. IL-6 is one of two key markers of chronic, low-grade inflammation (the other being C-reactive protein, or CRP) that is so often found in illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and autoimmune disorders.

Scientists have known for some time that IL-6 tends to increase when we’re under stress. Among other things, IL-6 boosts cortisol production, so that only makes sense. But a recent study found that among adults over age 50 with chronic disease, those who reported higher feelings of anger and frustration also had higher levels of IL-6. But not those who said they experienced sadness rather than anger.

If you feel like you’re falling down a rabbit hole, you’re right. Cytokines are part of our immune response, and a key dimension of thyroid disorders is autoimmune dysfunction. Here’s how this works. Another function of IL-6 is to keep in check regulatory T cells (or “Tregs”) while promoting another type of immune cell called T helper 17 cells (Th17). The Tregs help the body recognize its own tissues versus pathogens. The Th17 cells help protect the body against pathogens. But they also have a role in autoimmunity. So, if the body is producing too much IL-6, it means there’s an immune system imbalance. One that allows Th17 cells to increase while Tregs are suppressed. This sets the stage for an autoimmune disorder.

When the immune system is fighting itself…

The relationship between IL-6 and autoimmune thyroid disease seems like a chicken-and-egg question. Does thyroid disease develop because of the increase in IL-6, or does the increase in IL-6 occur because of thyroid disease? In reality, it could be both at the same time. (Remember that two-way street?) But knowing that anger boosts IL-6 production, and that IL-6 predisposes the body to attack its own cells, makes it hard to ignore that anger may have a profound effect on the way hormones and immune responses in the body interact with the thyroid.

Keep in mind not all thyroid imbalances are autoimmune-related. We know, for instance, that having too little iodine or selenium in your diet — two key nutrients for the thyroid — is also a common cause of low thyroid function (hypothyroidism), and one that’s easy to fix. It may be a question of where you are on a spectrum. When autoimmunity is involved, thyroid imbalances in women can be at opposite ends of the spectrum — Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (autoimmune hypothyroidism) or Graves’ disease (autoimmune hyperthyroidism). And in both disorders, higher-than-normal levels of IL-6 are usually present.

Anger is an unhealthy thing to swallow

But we started this conversation talking about repressed anger. What does repression have to do with it?

Many Eastern energy healing systems consider the thyroid to be the seat of the throat chakra, important for creativity and self-expression — your “voice,” in both the literal and emotional senses. It is no surprise to practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine that a hoarse voice is one of the key symptoms of thyroid dysfunction!

So, what happens when you are angry but stop yourself from expressing or experiencing it? “Swallowing your anger” is a metaphor for what you experience when you repress your angry feelings. But in a very real sense it’s like taking a poison pill — because where are you stuffing all that emotion? Down your throat, past the center of your self-expression, and right down into your gut — which not-too-coincidentally is the command center of your immune system. If you’ve ever had a roiling stomach after “biting your tongue” in an argument, you’ve felt the effects of repressed anger. Perhaps some of these other experiences will sound familiar.

Responses to anger

• Clenching or tightening of the jaw and throat
• “Cold” feeling in your chest or stomach
• Swallowing hard to maintain control
• Shortness of breath or a feeling of breathlessness

These are all physiologic stress responses as well as responses to anger.

There are many situations where it’s not appropriate to cut loose. And instead we have to “keep a lid on it” until it’s OK to “vent.” But that’s not what we’re talking about here. Repressed anger occurs when you continually refrain from stating how you feel. Unfortunately, many women have never learned healthy ways to express or cope with strong emotions like anger or grief. We might either “stuff” or “wallow in” these negative emotions, when what our body and mind and spirit need is for us to process them. Or we might simply have poor communication skills — “dumping” all over well-meaning friends and then feeling bad about it later, which encourages us to avoid expressing ourselves at all.

Either way, if we don’t process these emotions in a healthy way — acknowledge the feelings, understand where they came from, and either resolve them with communication or release them if communication isn’t possible — they can contribute to the chronic stress and inflammation that produce thyroid trouble.

How to reclaim your voice and improve your health

But the beautiful thing is, it’s never too late to learn better, healthier ways to manage your emotions and develop coping strategies for emotional triggers. Some ways to start are:

Take a time out

It’s hard to manage strong emotions in the moment. If you can make an opportunity to step aside, maybe go for a short walk, or even just go to the kitchen or bathroom and drink a glass of water before addressing the situation that makes you angry. It takes the pressure off to respond immediately and gives you time to employ other strategies to stay calm and identify and resolve the problem that’s causing your anger.

Practice deep breathing

The next time you’re feeling irritated or angry, try to remember to stop and take a few deep breaths. Deep breathing slows the heart rate, reduces blood pressure and relaxes the muscles. In short, it is an easy way to alter the physiological responses you have under stress and help to quickly reduce the stress response. If you can make deep breathing a regular practice, so much the better. You’ll be primed to do it when you’re triggered to anger.

Commit to honesty — and speak up

Sometimes the first step to managing your anger is acknowledging it exists out loud. It’s OK to say to someone, “What you just said (or did) makes me feel angry” or “Please give me a minute, I’m really annoyed right now, and I need a minute to sort it out.” Then, like I said before — step away and breathe! Doing so will make it easier for you to say in a calm and nonthreatening way how you’re feeling. Then you don’t have to hold it in. But you also don’t have to fear exploding at someone who doesn’t deserve it.

Learn to recognize your anger

For a lot of us, we’ve become so used to our unhealthy anger-related habits that we hardly even know when we’re angry anymore. Instead, we think we’re sad, or nervous, or anxious (anything but angry, if we’ve been taught that anger isn’t something we’re “supposed” to feel). If this resonates with you, take some time alone, or with a therapist or close friend who can give you honest but gentle feedback, to contemplate how this emotion manifests in you. What triggers anger in you, and how do you react to it in the moment? Are you someone who flies off the handle at the slightest obstacle? Or are you a “stuffer” who goes expressionless or gets depressed when she’s frustrated? It can be important to understand what makes you angry, and how you react to it, before you can learn strategies to release it.

Dig deeper

The steps above are strategies for managing surges of anger in the moment in ways that don’t repress the emotion. But so many of us have kept the lid bolted down for so many years that we hardly even realize how much anger we’ve repressed. Think about all that the #MeToo movement has brought to light. The learning there is not just about the prevalence of sexual abuse, it’s about women being heard and believed. The health issues we face from repressed anger stem from our inability to both release and process the emotion. If you have issues in your past or present that contribute to a longstanding emotional history of depression, anxiety or resentment, it’s not healthy to continually ignore or downplay those issues.

We don’t agree with Oprah on everything. But on this topic she really was showing women the future of how to understand the multitude of factors that can affect the thyroid.

The truth is, facing your emotions may be painful. And learning how to let the anger go if you’ve held on to it for a long time can feel difficult. For some people, it may take months or even years of work with a professional therapist — but the rewards of good health (and a healthier thyroid) are worth it!

Is your thyroid function at risk? Take our free Thyroid Health Quiz and get the answers you need.

The post Turns out Oprah was right — repressed anger really can lead to low thyroid appeared first on Women's Health Network.

It’s always exciting when a compound from the world of natural medicine suddenly makes a breakthrough into mainstream acceptance and use. And right now, that moment has arrived for CBD, a substance found naturally in hemp. CBD oil — technically known as Cannabidiol — is a hot topic at the moment.

Lots of health claims are made for it, and studies by the score are underway to substantiate them. But the earliest claims were that CBD oil helped relieve anxiety — and without side effects. I actually first learned about the oil from patients of mine. They felt it helped them dial back stress and anxiety.

So I’ve spent time reviewing the most recent studies. And a growing boy of scientific research corroborates their experiences.

What is CBD? Let’s clear things up.

CBD is a type of cannabinoid, a plant chemical found in hemp. I know what you’re thinking! So let me clear this up right away: yes, CBD is derived from hemp, but no, it does NOT make you “high.” It’s true that hemp is the cousin of marijuana, and marijuana contains THC, which is psychoactive. But hemp is the poor cousin: it has nearly zero THC; that’s why its main prior use was to make rope. Naturally, CBD that is derived from hemp also has nearly zero THC. Some manufacturer seven certify their CBD oil has no THC whatsoever…more on that later.

CBD was first identified and extracted in 1940. It wasn’t until decades later, however, that researchers discovered the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), a series of signaling receptors that help regulate mood, immune-system responses (very important in the inflammatory cascade), sleep, pain and more. CBD and other cannabinoids interact with ECS receptors, influencing messages sent to the nervous system, organs and cells.

How CBD works for anxiety and stress relief

We have a lot to learn about how CBD acts in the body, particularly how it may work to reduce stress and anxiety. But from what we know, the CBD molecule works in a number of different ways to restore calm:

• CBD helps regulate and balance brain activity in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex — two parts of the brain involved in anxiety.
• CBD interacts with receptors that regulate serotonin, helping to make more of the mood-regulating chemical available for the body to use— naturally!

• CBD stimulates the renewal and growth of brain cells(neurogenesis) in the hippocampus, a part of the brain associated with emotions, motivation and memory. Chronic stress and severe depression can cause the hippocampus to shrink. As research has shown, CBD and other cannabinoid activity may protect the hippocampus from the damaging effects of prolonged depression and stress — and possibly reverse them.
• CBD seems to provide specific help for people dealing with social anxiety. A Brazilian study of adults with social anxiety found that after consuming CBD, participants reported feeling less anxious — often significantly so. Brain scans that showed cerebral blood flow patterns consistent with an anti-anxiety effect backed this up.

Another study corroborated this finding that CBD helps with social anxiety. It helped sufferers deal with a simulated public speaking test. Those who took CBD before getting up to speak reported feeling less anxious and more comfortable. In addition to these self-reported benefits, objective indicators of anxiety — like heart rate and blood pressure — also responded favorably to usage. Obviously we can’t say that CBD oil is a panacea for anxiety – there’s no such thing. There are many forms of anxiety, some very serious, and the CBD studies are early-stage. But the initial results are encouraging, especially given the apparent safety and relative lack of side effects.

Yes, so far the adverse side effects appear minimal

Some studies have reported mild side effects when using CBD, such as diarrhea. The rates of such side effects are low. And they seem to readily resolve once you stop usage. Of course, we always recommend that anyone regularly using any over the counter supplement or medication keep their doctor informed, and stop using it immediately if side effects develop.

Be forewarned — how you choose your CBD may be the critical factor

You’ve probably seen CBD show up at your health food store as an oil supplement or in oil-infused chocolates and other edibles. But not all CBD oils are the same — far from it! There’s a lot you need to know before you jump in.

The most important issues are how the CBD is sourced and extracted. Look for product that comes from organic hemp and uses a CO2 extraction process. (Some makers use butane or solvents, which are cheaper extraction agents — but not something you want in your body!) Some forms of CBD may contain trace amounts of THC — well under 1%. But that may be a concern, especially if you have a job that requires drug testing. The best manufacturers use an extraction process that leaves even those trace amounts behind. Look for CBD labeled THC-free with certified test results available to back up this claim. Keep in mind that reputable brands are extremely transparent about how their product is made —and what it contains. As I’ve seen, and maybe as you’ve heard from your friends or experienced for yourself, CBD’s ability to relieve stress and anxiety can sometimes feel like nothing short of a miracle. I like to think of it this way — in our stressed-out world where it often feels like anti-anxiety prescription medications are the only answer, it’s nice to know that nature has given us a way to access blissful calm.

If you’re suffering from everyday anxiety, read our article on three steps to calm anxiety and feel more peaceful.

The post CBD oil for anxiety relief – does it really work? appeared first on Women's Health Network.

Racing thoughts can take over when you’re trying to get to sleep, struggling to focus or hovering on the brink of an anxiety attack. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to quiet everything down and even turn off the panic? Turns out you have a built-in calming system that can help you feel less on edge.

Why your mind races

Anxiety is the little monster that sets off racing thoughts. You can become anxious about almost anything, even if it starts small. Whether it’s the undone tasks on your to-do list, a pending confrontation with a co-worker or a sick kid, your mind is prone to fixating on any issue that’s unresolved — especially at night when you’ve stopped running around.

Once anxiety gets a toehold, your thoughts will begin to race — often in repetitive, circular patterns that feel familiar. Reasoning away your galloping thoughts feels impossible because you’re stuck in those very patterns. You may even feel additional symptoms like sweating, nausea, shallow breathing or shaking. These are all signs of the “fight or flight” response.

While everyone worries about something now and then, middle-aged women tend to have more anxiety than they used to. Many studies connect anxiety, serotonin and hormone status, especially when a woman’s estrogen is fluctuating.

A lot of women seek help with their hormones in midlife, whether it’s with natural hormonal-balancing methods, or even hormone treatments. But there’s more to racing thoughts than shifting hormones.

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Family and life changes, financial worries and fears about aging can instantly position you to become more anxious, even about little things. And even though you’re focused on real-life circumstances, physical contributors, such as low blood sugar or caffeine in your system, can also intensify anxious ruminations, making situations feel worse than they are.

When it’s so hard to convince yourself to be calm

If you’re like most women, when your mind is anxiously racing, you’re probably mostly focused either on the past (regrets) or on the future (anticipating bad outcomes). Where you are least focused is on the present moment, which ironically is the place where you can feel the safest.

I’ve often thought of the human brain as a pessimistic chatterbox. It’s wired for survival so it naturally stays on the lookout for danger. While that’s good in many ways, the brain’s thought process can benefit from being reined in and reassured in moments of high stress.

There are some effective physical methods you can use to break the cycle of anxiety and feel better.

Calming techniques that can stop racing thoughts

Because racing thoughts result partly from getting stuck in your brain, it helps in those anxious moments to reconnect with your body and the physical world. Plant both of your feet on the ground. Take slow, deep breaths as you tune into your breathing, sensations in your body and the earth beneath your feet.

The physical mechanism you’ll be activating is the parasympathetic nervous system. It’s the healing and relaxation half of your autonomic nervous system. The other half is the sympathetic nervous system, which drives that “fight or flight” response. By using a bilateral approach to activate the parasympathetic half, you can down-regulate the sympathetic half — and calm your racing thoughts.

These easy techniques can help slow down your racing thoughts. They’ve been used successfully by people with PTSD who are learning to deal with disturbing thoughts and memories, and can be quite powerful.

See which one works best for you.

1. The butterfly hug for bilateral stimulation

Cross your arms over your chest, with hands pointing toward your neck (not your arms) and with your longest fingers touching each collarbone. Breathe slowly, with eyes closed or partially closed and looking at the tip of your nose. Flap one hand like a butterfly wing against your chest, then the other. Keep going, alternating hands rhythmically for 2-3 minutes. Your hands may naturally go faster or slower at some points, but just keep going and don’t try to control your thoughts.

2. Kundalini meditation for emotional balance (Sunia Antar)

Drink a glass of water to begin. Then, sit up straight, but not rigidly, on the floor with your legs crossed. Add a little pillow or rolled towel under each knee to make yourself comfortable. Cross your arms across your chest with your hands firmly in your armpits, palms pressing into your ribcage and thumbs pointing up. Scrunch your shoulders up toward your ears as you gently tilt your chin toward your chest lengthening the back of your neck without cramping it (known as “neck lock”). Close your eyes and take long, deep breaths for 3-11 minutes.

You hold the power to calm yourself

Negative ruminations tend to escalate as long as your anxiety stays high so each thought feels worse than the previous one. In addition to using these physical techniques, you can also help guide your brain to take the momentum out of your racing thoughts.

Ask yourself:

• Is what I’m imagining really true?
• Do I have real evidence to back up my worries?
• Is there another way of looking at this situation?

Just like the physical methods above, performing mental reality checks takes practice — and some trial and error — when you’re in the middle of being worried.

Knowing how to bring your mind back from the edge when it’s freaking out is a skill you can use to get through the day more peacefully and to rest more easily at night. Once you learn how to do it, you’ll have something you can count on when you need it most.

See more about how to calm anxiety so you feel less stressed and more peaceful.

The post How to turn off your racing thoughts appeared first on Women's Health Network.

Whether you call it the winter blues, blahs or doldrums, it’s natural for us to slow down as the temps drop. But since we don’t have the option to hibernate, what can we do?

Here are our top ideas – straight from our winter experts in Maine!

1. Warm up with seasonal foods

At this time of year, your body needs warming foods that are easier for your digestive system. Fill up the slow cooker with root vegetables or try our simple soup recipe below.

Yum! Pumpkin ginger soup recipe

½ onion
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 16-ounce can organic pumpkin
4 cans broth or water
Pinch of cinnamon

Sauté onion with ginger and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Add pumpkin and broth or water and simmer 20 minutes. Blend if desired and serve with yogurt.

2. Create a special winter ritual you love

For me, winter is “bath season.” I love taking a warm bath, but not in the heat and humidity of summer when I could be out swimming. I save this treat for when the temperatures drop.

3. Catch some morning sun

Getting outside for a quick 10-15 minute walk in the morning is one of the most effective ways to combat the winter blues, and depending on where you live, get your body a little Vitamin D. If this is not a possibility then the next best option is to get a light box, which mimics outdoor light. Use it in the morning for 30 minutes.

4. Load up on zinc

Nothing gets me down more than balloon head and the sniffles. When I feel like the cold or flu is trying to catch me, I add more zinc to my diet with supplements or foods like wheat germ, oysters and liver. If you take high doses of zinc (such as 75 mg) within 24 hours of being exposed to a cold, you can beat it faster.

5. Get cozy with your puppy

I always feel happier and cozier sleeping with my dog nearby. But for years I kept my furry friend out of the bedroom because I was worried it would affect my sleep quality. Fortunately new research shows a dog in the bedroom isn’t disruptive to sleep (although having one in your bed can be). No word on a cat study yet, but I volunteer to be part of it!

Finally, I recommend you go with the flow and don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t feeling as motivated or as peppy as you do in the summer months. Often, the blahs are temporary. But if you think your ongoing winter blues may actually be something more serious – such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – see how a natural approach can help you.

The post 5 ways to fight the winter blues appeared first on Women's Health Network.

I get anxious — a lot.

But I’ve also got a secret weapon against anxiety, and it really helps. Since we all get anxious at times about something, you should know that my anti-anxiety trick is something everyone has with them at all times of the day, 24/7: it’s your breathing.

Your breathing is regulated by your autonomic nervous system so you don’t have to think about it to stay alive. But you can change your breath with breathwork! Learning how to take full, deep breaths from your abdomen can slow your heartbeat and stabilize your blood pressure, helping you feel calmer in just a few seconds. Breathing like this sends a “relaxation message” to your adrenal system to help prevent your fight-or-flight response from kicking in.

How your breath flips the switch

I’m amazed how many people know about the benefits of deep breathing without being able to actually do it. Maybe you’re one of them!

We live in a shallow-breathing society. We pull in our stomachs to look thinner. We hold our breath when we’re nervous, concentrating or exercising hard. And we breathe through our mouths too much. Mouth-breathing messes with the oxygen your body gets through inhaling.

Breathing through your mouth also doesn’t use your full lung capacity, which is a key element for activating that natural relaxation response. (You do have one, I promise.)

7 little steps to learn deep belly breathing

You can learn to do deep belly breathing in a way that will become more and more natural as you practice. And the fact is, you will have to practice if you ever hope to make deep breathing an easy habit.

So if you can do it for five breaths, then you can do it for five minutes. Here’s how to get started with breathwork:

1. Set aside 5-10 minutes in a quiet, comfortable spot.
2. Sit up straight (but not rigid) or lie down if you prefer. Put one hand on your belly and breathe normally for about a minute.
3. Now take in one long, slow, deep breath through your nose, feeling your stomach rise with the inhale — and then exhale through your nose, letting your belly fall as your lungs empty out.
4. Then repeat and count the seconds as you inhale for 4 seconds, pause for a split second at the top of your breath and exhale, counting for 4 seconds.
5. Now set a timer for 30 seconds and do it all again. The first time you do it, you might be surprised at how hard this kind of breathing can be and especially by how easy it is to be distracted.
6. Your mind will drift and you’ll forget what you’re doing. Then you’ll be back to your regular breathing. Be patient and nice to yourself, and simply start over as many times as you need to.
7. Gradually increase the length on your timer. After a few sessions, go for 2 minutes, then 3 minutes, then 4 minutes, etc. If 4 minutes seems like forever, go back to step 3.

Here’s another deep breathing technique…

Lots of people concentrate better on their breathing with their eyes closed, but I like to keep mine open. I focus on one tiny thing, like a spot on the floor a few feet in front of me because I find it helps direct my attention to the breathing itself. I keep my eyes on that spot and every time my mind wanders, I just come back to focusing on my breath.

It’s absolutely essential that you breathe in and out almost exclusively through your nose. You certainly can start your practice session with a few “cleansing” breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling out your mouth. After that, seal your lips and use your nostrils exclusively.

For many people, this kind of breathing is as hard as learning a new language. You may feel incredibly self-conscious at first but keep going — I promise the payoff is that good. So take a few deep breaths and get back to your life! You can read more about deep breathing with our article Take time to breathe for your health.

The post Flip the “off switch” on anxiety with breathwork appeared first on Women's Health Network.

By WHN editorial team

Of course you are! But take a moment to really notice how you’re breathing. Are you holding your breath a lot? Are your breaths shallow or rapid? Is your breathing through your nose, or your mouth? Because deep breathing can help you relax and feel calmer, it can make you feel better when you’re stressed or anxious. When we checked in recently with one of our customers, she told us that when she had tried deep breathing, she ended up feeling out of breath and light-headed. She wanted help.

Here’s what our Wellness Coach told her:

A good way to get started is to sit up straight but not rigid, or lie down comfortably. Put one hand on your belly and just breathe normally for about a minute. Now, take a long, slow, deep breath in through your nose, feeling your stomach rise with the inhale — and then exhale through your nose, letting your belly fall as your lungs empty out. Aim to inhale for 3 seconds with a slight pause at the top of your breath and then exhale for 3 seconds. Continue this pattern for a couple of minutes. After a few sessions, gradually go for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc. Closing your eyes can help you focus more on keeping the pattern going.

Deep breathing takes practice and patience

Learning how to “surrender” to this deep breathing practice can take a little time. Notice if you feel resistant to letting go (very common at first) and try not to rush through these few moments you’ve set aside.

It’s very important to breathe mostly through your nose — that keeps you from hyperventilating and feeling dizzy. After you get the hang of it, try a few powerful exhales through your mouth about halfway through your session — still inhaling through your nose.These “cleansing breaths” release tension, stress, fatigue — and anxiety.

Be patient and kind to yourself. Simply start over if you get distracted and start breathing too quickly. Deep breathing, like most worthwhile activities, takes a little practice.

* Information presented here is not intended to cure, diagnose, prevent or treat any health concerns or condition, nor is it to serve as a substitute professional medical care.

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