Anxiety is the body and minds natural reaction to danger and stress. It is activated by the sympathetic nervous system and often called the fight or flight response. Anxiety is experienced physically and emotionally and affects our thoughts, behaviours and our health. It’s main job is to keep us safe and help us to react quickly and intuitively so we avoid or get away from a dangerous situation by running or fighting if we have to. When this job is done the parasympathetic system should naturally reset the body back to the rest and digest mode.

Anxiety affects adults, teens and children. It has many triggers including chronic stress, trauma, bullying, bereavement and even dietary deficiencies.

Common physical sensations that accompany anxiety are mood swings, palpitations, nausea, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, over whelming feelings of fear and worry causing restlessness.

Long term anxiety is exhausting and its hyper vigilant sympathetic response can initiate responses that are out of proportion to the actual danger or stress of any situation even causing irrational thoughts, behaviours or panic attacks.

In response to the flight or fight response the adrenal glands in our body are prompted to produce cortisol, which is an important hormone to help us deal with inflammation (it is also the hormone that works with melatonin to regulate proper sleep patterns).  When the adrenals become over worked they produce more and more cortisol requiring more and more nutrients such as vitamin C and B vitamins. Depletion of your nutritional reserves or needing more than your diet or body can provide can lead to a wide variety of health concerns and an increased time to recover from illness, injury or trauma.

Anxiety when untreated can continue to increase in severity leading to a large range of stress related illnesses and even nervous breakdown in extreme cases.

Because of the accumulative effect that anxiety has on mental, physical and emotional health, recovery is easier when a holistic approach is taken. Holistic avenues that should be considered are:

Reduce Stress - Uncertainty and too much stress makes anxiety worst. Removing current stress and learning how to manage future stress so they remain at a motivational level helps to promote better mental and physical health.

Resolve any past trauma - How we initially respond to danger or threat even at an early age becomes our default response, identifying and resolving the root cause of the anxiety will reset the sympathetic response and help us to deal with stressful situations differently in the future.

Bin the junk food - Junk food draws on your nutritional reserves. Sugar and processed carbs are linked to mood swings and anxiety. Fresh vegetables cooked or raw, good quality meat/eggs and essential fats will improve your mood. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner as skipping meals leads to cravings and an increase in symptoms.

Supplements - When nutritional reserves are depleted, it is difficult to consume enough nutrition from food to rebuild nutritional stores. Natural whole food supplements are best. Taking omega 3 daily will help to relieve anxiety and promote brain health.

Exercise - Go out and walk in nature. When you start do what you can, then build up gradually to 40-60 mins daily.

Get quality sleep - Blue light from electrical devices effect production of the bodies sleep hormone melatonin. Turning of electrical devices an hour before bed and reading a book will help to create a positive sleep environment

If you would like to recover from Trauma, Anxiety or Stress Amanda Roe combines a range of holistic therapies to help clients improve their mental, physical and emotional health.  To book a FREE 15min consultation with Amanda click here.