Plato said "Nothing in the affairs of men (and women) is worthy of great anxiety."
I couldn't agree more.
Years ago, I experienced what I later discovered to be an anxiety attack. For days I had an uncomfortable tightness in my chest, shortness of breath, and insomnia. I finally decided to go get it checked out. I spent an entire afternoon in the hospital, where they ran tests, and took samples to give me the diagnosis: “There’s nothing wrong with you, all the tests show you’re clear. Are you under a lot of stress?”
I paused for a while before I could respond. Reality was - I didn’t really know whether I was stressed or not. I hadn’t ever really stopped to think about it. I had gotten so used to being in flight mode, that it had become the norm for me - just smile, and carry on. Only this time, my body was trying to tell me something, loud and clear. Looking back, it was only a matter of time before I was going to have a break down. In the year and some months leading up to the anxiety attack, I was under a huge amount of (self-imposed) pressure. This is when I knew I had to make some big changes in my life.
Earlier that year I came out of long term relationship, was working in a stressful and demanding job, got the shingles and suddenly was greeted with some not-so-awesome food sensitivities that took me away from some of my fave vices - pizza and ice cream! Between those things, a busy social life, and all the unrealistic expectations I was putting on myself, I hardly left any time to just chill.
What I was missing most in my life was balance, presence and time to recharge.
Even to this day, when I start neglecting self care for too long because I get too wrapped up in the hussle and bussle, some of the anxiety symptoms slowly come back and that’s my trigger to reassess my priorities - me! My health and happiness.
Like with any adversity you bump up against, there’s always a silver lining when you look for it; the key is: ALWAYS look for how that experience served you (no matter how difficult it was), and what it taught you.
My experience with anxiety taught me about the importance of implementing a few small things into my day-to-day that have made a huge difference for me, and my overall well-being. I encourage you to take an hour for yourself every morning to:
1) Meditate
Meditate as soon as you wake up and before you go to bed.
Start your day off with a silent or guided meditation, it’s the best way to start your day. Do this for at least 20 minutes (you can work up to this). Speaking for myself, and other daily meditators, there is a huuuge difference between the days I do take the time to meditate versus the days that I don’t - whenever I don’t do this, my day always seems a bit off.
Also, forget expensive creams, and sudoku puzzles - daily meditation has been proven to slow down the signs of aging, and improve memory. (Speca, 2000)
Finish your day off by focusing on your wins for the day. What was awesome about today? An attitude of gratitude is the way to go. When you consistently take the time to be grateful for what is present in your life, you’ll be surprised by what shows up in your life.
Consider keeping a gratitude journal by your bed in which you track your wins for the day, no matter how big or small.
2) Move
Include in your morning some form of exercise or movement - whether you’re taking the scenic route on your walk to work, doing yoga, a bike ride, workout video - make sure it’s something you can commit to consistently. It’s not about how long or hard you work out for, it's about the consistency. So even if you’re doing something for 20 minutes -- regularly -- you’re on the right path because the intention behind why you’re doing it is key.
3) Get Inspired
Whether you’re into audiobooks, regular books, podcasts, Ted Talks, take at least 10 minutes to learn about a topic that inspires you before you start your hussle. Your morning coffee/tea or your commute to work can be the perfect opportunity for that.
I challenge you to try these steps for at least 30 days - I promise, you won’t regret it ;)
Thanks for stopping by and reading
With love,
Natalie