Module 1: Nutrition and Movement

 Mindful Nutrition:

Our nutrition plays a major role in many more ways than just fueling our bodies and keeping us alive. Our nutrition affects our mindset. Our mind and body are connected, and our mind and gut are connected.

If our gut is out of balance and suffering, it will manifest in physical and emotional ailments like weak joints, anxiety, depression, hostility, etc. By creating mindfulness AROUND our nutrition and learning to listen to what our bodies are saying to us, then we can better provide the right thoughts and nutrition to our bodies and mind to help heal our mind/body/gut connection.

In doing so consistently, levels of anxiety have been seen to go down, in scientific studies and from my own personal experiences. Pay attention to your thoughts and your actions while you are eating. Bring your attention to the action of eating and take each bite intentionally.

Mindful Movement:

Anxiety is similar to a build up of adrenaline and one way to release that is through moving your body and raising your heart rate, however, if your mind is focused on the anxiety or the stress, worry, past struggle, current struggle, then you can move your body all you want and may not feel the relief you hear about.

When you engage in physical activity with the intent of relieving your anxiety it is vitally important that you bring your mind into the action of every movement. Listen to each footstep, feel each heart beat, control your breathing and count the inhale and the release. Feel the joints move, any discomfort and/or pleasure, tune into what you are actually doing in the very moment.

You are in control of your thoughts so pay attention to the action you are taking. As you do this the anxiety will subside and reduce and your mental clarity will increase.

Module 2: Habits, Beliefs and Practices

Habit Hacking:

Habits are the automatic actions we take and behaviors we have but also habits are the thoughts we have.

Are you aware of the thoughts you are thinking? Particularly in times when you are IN the heaviness of anxiety? What behaviors and actions do you take when anxiety strikes? Are they self-serving to help bring you back out, or self-sabotaging and digging your deeper into the anxiety spiral? Once this is recognized then you can begin to make some shifts.

First decide what it is that you want to do and feel, and then find a habit that you believe will help bring you to that place. Make sure that the WHY behind choosing this habit is something that really resonates with you, or it is unlikely to stick.

As you start implementing this new behavior/habit, keep bringing your awareness to it. Catch yourself doing the current habit and consciously shift yourself to the new one, always remembering WHY you want to create it.

Building Beliefs:

Our beliefs are often the foundation of our habits and emotions, but beliefs are just thoughts that we keep thinking. Our realities are going to reflect back the beliefs that we hold, whether they are conscious or subconscious beliefs.

Think about how it is you want to FEEL and keep bringing those thoughts into your mind. When you are anxious, remember how you feel when you are calm and at peace. Believe you are calm and at peace. Become aware of beliefs you have and question if they are in fact true. In most cases, they are not.

Your beliefs are very likely holding you back from your greatest potential and keeping you in this state of stressed anxiety. Believe you can change this.

Change your words (to yourself and others), change your thoughts, change your beliefs, change your life.

Mindful Practices:

A mindful practice is doing ANYTHING that feels good to you where you can also bring your mind with you and be in the present moment. This can be anything from meditating to hiking mountains, swimming laps, playing with your kids or pets, to yoga and climbing trees and anything in between. There is no rule for what constitutes a mindful practice.

The important thing is simply being mindful and aware of the action, to be in a place of calm, inner peace. As an anxious individual, calming the mind is the trickiest thing of all which is why I suggest starting with the things you already enjoy doing. The action of this practice is already natural for you so now when you do it, pay attention to the actual action.

In doing so your mind will get better at releasing the worry and anxiety and the more time you spend in the moment mindfully, the more your mind will live in a state of inner peace, (and your physical body will follow).

Module 3: Nature, Emotions, and Self-Care

Reconnecting with Nature:

We are energetically connected to everything in nature. From the rocks to the birds, bacteria to mankind, everything is connected. When you zoom in with a microscope beyond the atom and observe the subatomic particles it has been discovered that these particles keep moving and changing and that between them what appears to be empty space, is in fact, energy.

This exists within every single thing in the universe, including the stars and planets. This energy vibrates at different frequencies within different beings and is always exchanging and flowing through everything. By remembering this connection exists, when you step outside into nature you can begin to FEEL this connection and experience the relief and energy that nature fills you with.

When you tap into this connection you can exchange our negative, anxious energy with earth who will fill you with higher frequency, better feeling energy. Rejuvenating you. This is why when you are stressed or upset people tell you to get some fresh air. It’s not the air, it’s the energy flowing through the air and our bodies and everything else.

Nature heals, nature calms, we are nature.

Deciphering Emotions:

People with high functioning anxiety and other forms of anxiety also tend to have strong empathy and intuition. That “gut” feeling you get when something seems off or seems just right. Or the sudden change in mood, going from totally fine to intense sadness, anger, anxiety.

While on the surface it may seem that these are just our moods swinging around, that’s not necessarily true. Just as we exchange energy with nature, we exchange energy with other people and those of us with anxiety and strong intuition can FEEL that energy so strong that we confuse it with our own.

Pay attention to the sudden shift in emotions, or the onset of anxiety and then observe your surroundings. Has another person entered your space, speaking to you on the phone, posted something on social media? Remove yourself from their presence if you can and see how you then feel. If you cannot, then remember how you were feeling BEFORE, and what may have caused this sudden shift.

Do not begin to over analyze your thoughts, just be aware of the situation. Once you are back in your comfort safe space, see how you feel then. Is it the same? Are you calmer? These are ways to begin to decipher whether certain emotions are actually YOURS that you will honor and allow to process or do they belong to someone else and you need to release them.

Self-care/Maintenance:

Self-care is not selfish. Selfcare also does not HAVE to mean facials and bubble baths, although they absolutely can be. Self-care is about making YOU a priority in your life. No matter what responsibilities you may have, if you do not take care of yourself you will not be able to take care of others.

When we are anxious it is a sign something is off, so what can YOU do that brings you calm? How can you give yourself a few minutes to breathe in your calm, immerse yourself in whatever task/activity relieves you? For instance, I enjoy crocheting and paint by numbers, reading and puzzles. These hobbies instantly calm me and reign in my anxious mind. I focus on the task and fall down the rabbit hole to a space of inner peace.

By finding what works for your self-care, whether it is cooking, crafts, exercise, reading, gardening, etc. then you will have your very own unique system to fall into when anxiety starts to spike. You will also be providing yourself with the care you need so that the anxiety may not appear as much or at all!

Begin to shift your mind away from not having time, being worth it, or knowing what you like and begin listening to that inner nudge to do “that thing” and go do it. This will promote your mind, body health and better your relationships all around.

Practice being your top priority and everything else will begin to fall into place.

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