A Holistic Approach to Anxiety and Stress: 21 Holistic Solutions
Healing anxiety naturally
We all know the benefits of a good diet and exercise routine for the well-being of our physical health but they are also fundamentally important for our mental health as well. Following good holistic practice in life is one way that will keep you mentally fit and healthy. More and more people are seeing the benefits of following a holistic lifestyle when dealing with conditions such as anxiety, stress, and depression as a way to deal with their symptoms.
The holistic approach to health and well-being follows an integrative idea of well-being. It is an approach that puts the individual at the centre and addresses all aspects of their life; physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and environmental when assessing any influences that affect a person’s health. This holistic, integrative approach is an ideal way to treat the symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression.
What is a holistic approach to anxiety?
Mental health conditions are not contained in a void where they have no interaction with anything else that goes on day to day in a person’s life. Stress that affects one part of the body will almost certainly start to affect the whole, this is the reason when treating such conditions, it is important to look at a person’s whole lifestyle. A holistic approach will take into account all aspects of an individual’s life when coming up with appropriate treatment for a specific condition.
21 Holistic solutions
1. Diet and healthy eating
What you put into your body is going to have a major influence on your well-being for good or bad. A diet that is rich in fruit and vegetables, low in sugar, salt, and processed foods, and low in alcohol with plenty of water is going to sustain you with all the ingredients to have a healthy, happy body.
Eating a diet that is high in saturated fats, sugar, alcohol, tobacco, and processed foods is going to have no health benefits at all. This is information that most of us are aware of and yet all too often we don’t follow a healthy eating lifestyle and don’t correlate it to our mental health. The wrong diet affects mental conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression to a large amount.
Eating foods such as complex carbohydrates is a good way to help with anxiety as they metabolize more slowly in the body which aids in keeping blood sugar levels in the body even, which brings about a much calmer effect.
Eating balanced, evenly spaced meals also has the same result in maintaining even blood sugar levels, so never be tempted to skip meals if you suffer from anxiety as dips in blood sugar can leave you feeling nervous and on edge which will only exacerbate the problem.
A lot of research has been conducted on gut health and anxiety. It has been found that a healthy gut is a happy gut. 95% of serotonin receptors are found in the gut. Serotonin is a feel-good neurotransmitter that positively regulates mood so making sure that you keep your gut healthy is important for you to feel mentally well.
2. Foods that are good in an anti-anxiety diet.
Try to eat these foods as part of your anti-anxiety diet;
Foods rich in zinc such as egg yolks, cashews, beans, nuts, whole grains, and fortified breakfast cereals.
Foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids such as fatty fish, nuts, and seeds, plant-based oils such as flaxseed oil, and soya bean oil.
Foods rich in magnesium such as leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Probiotic rich foods yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso and pickles.
Foods rich in vitamin B such as milk, cheese, eggs, and dark green vegetables.
Complex carbohydrates such as peas, beans, whole grains, and vegetables.
3. Exercise regularly to reduce stress
The importance of exercise can never be understated for physical well-being and it is the same for our emotional well-being also.
Exercise is a great way to maintain low levels of stress and anxiety in the body. When we exercise we are giving our bodies the huge potential to strengthen our mental well-being.
You do not need to spend hours on the treadmill either, even just 10 minutes of brisk walking can enhance our well-being, increase energy levels, and positive mood and stimulate mental awareness.
When you exercise it is a win-win for your body. Physically it improves circulation, is good for the heart, keeps you trim, and can extend your life but the mental health benefits are just as positive.
Exercise makes you feel good mentally, and gives you a natural high from the endorphins that it releases into the body. It is also a good way to get a good night’s sleep which can be affected by stress and anxiety and is a way of giving you more energy throughout the day as well.
Exercise promotes feelings of calmness and well-being, it gives you a feel-good buzz but as well it is also a great way of focusing the mind on positive activities and away from negative thoughts. Exercise also helps with the physical feelings of stress and anxiety.
When you are stressed, the body will be tense and stiff causing you to suffer from painful muscles or headaches. Exercise aids these problems as it relaxes the muscles and eases tensions in the body when the body is healthy, the mind will be healthy also.
4. Meditation for Relaxation
As well as using exercise as a way to aid anxiety and stress, many relaxation techniques can also be tried, Meditation and Mindfulness are two such practices that can be used in the treatment of these conditions.
Meditation is a wonderful practice for managing racing thoughts that go through the mind. With practice, you can learn to slow your thoughts down so that it is easier to manage stress and anxiety.
5. Mindfulness
Mindfulness practices work similarly, by focusing on what is happening at one particular moment and paying attention to one particular thing at a time which can stop you from rushing through life.
Mindfulness is a great way of turning down the volume of your thoughts and stepping back from the areas that cause you stress and anxiety. There are many guided meditation sources available to use online to get you started on meditation and mindfulness.
6. Practising Yoga.
Yoga is another relaxation technique that incorporates exercise, mindfulness and breathing exercises that are all beneficial in reducing stress and anxiety.
Yoga is the perfect mind-body practice that is gentle on the body and excellent for the mind.
7. Reiki Therapy
There are numerous holistic practices such as reiki, reflexology, and aromatherapy that can aid stress and anxiety.
Each of these practices has various merits that can aid in the treatment of emotional problems.
A qualified Reiki practitioner can use their skills to help with relaxation and promote a positive mental state.
8. Reflexology
A reflexology treatment will aim to restore the natural balance in the body. Working on specific areas of the feet that correspond to other areas of the body a therapist can help to relieve tension in the whole body.
9. Aromatherapy
An aromatherapist can assist in relaxing the mind by the use of different oils to bring about calm and balance to an individual.
Smelling soothing oils can help calm a stressed nervous system and can help promote sleep which can all help with stress and anxiety.
10. Herbal Treatments
There are a variety of herbal remedies that can be used to treat anxiety and stress. Although they will not cure, they can be used as natural aids for the symptoms. As with natural remedies, you should consult with your doctor before taking anything.
Chamomile, valerian and st johns’s wort are all herbs that can be taken as teas or tinctures to aid symptoms.
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen herb, which affects hormones in the body which regulate stress responses. Studies have shown reduced levels of cortisol in people who use this herb.
11. Acupuncture Treatments
Acupuncture is an ancient holistic practice that involves inserting small needles into specific pressure points in the body. There have been various studies to show that this treatment can relieve generalised stress and anxiety symptoms.
Acupuncture can slow the body’s production of stress hormones and can have minimal side effects with results being seen after one session.
12. The use of dietary supplements
Adding dietary supplements can be a way to aid stress and anxiety. Certain vitamins and minerals can be lost from bad diets or unhealthy eating habits and so topping up with supplements is a great way to get them into your system.
Vitamins such as B-12. and Vitamin D, are integral to the nervous system. Vitamin B-12 can’t be made by the body and so if the correct dose isn’t being absorbed through food then supplements are needed.
13. Controlling the breath
How we breathe can greatly affect the emotions in the body. Anyone who suffers from stress and anxiety will be aware that their breathing can change as a result.
When we are stressed or anxious, our breathing can become fast and shallow and many people can find breathing difficult. Learning to control the breath can help when anxiety attacks strike.
Breathing in for the count of four, holding for the count of four and then breathing out for the count of four can slow down and stabilise the breath.
Try practising this breathing technique so that you have it on hand if you suffer a sudden anxiety attack.
14. Listening to relaxing music
We all know the joys of listening to our favourite music. The memories that it can evoke and the wonderful positive feelings that are brought to mind. If you are finding that you feel stressed or anxious, listening to some relaxing music can help to elevate the negative feelings produced within your body and can lower the stress and anxiety you are experiencing.
15. Limit the intake of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
What you fed your body is going to have a direct result on how your body behaves. If you feed it with caffeine, nicotine and alcohol then you can expect to have negative reactions. Although many people use caffeine, nicotine and alcohol as a way to control negative emotions, they have the opposite effect of making them worse.
They will all load the body up with unwanted stress and anxiety, so limit their intake or stop using them altogether, especially nicotine.
16. Use the practice of journaling
Journaling is a great aid in controlling stress and anxiety in the body. It is something that anyone can do anytime and anywhere and has many positive results. The act of writing down what you are thinking and feeling can be very cathartic.
You can see the progress your thoughts are making as you continue your journaling and it is also an important way of identifying triggers that can activate your stress and anxiety.
17. Have a relaxing massage
A massage can be a wonderfully indulgent way of erasing stress and anxiety from the body. From the warm environment, relaxing music, and the smell of the essential oils that are used, you have a perfect combination for feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.
18. Reconnect with the natural world
There is nothing quite like being outdoors surrounded by the beauty of the natural world to make you feel serene and relaxed.
The sights, sounds and smells of nature have a wonderful calming effect on the mind. Getting outside can bring a new perspective to the worries and anxieties that you carry around and can put a different perspective on your thinking.
19. Improve your sleep routine
Our sleep-wake cycle is one of the most important requirements for our overall good health.
Sleep is so beneficial to the mind and the body. Whilst we are asleep, the body repairs any damage and the mind processes thoughts from the day. A disruption to our sleeping can mean these vital services don’t take place.
Try to go to bed and rise at the same time every day so that you get into a good sleeping routine.
20. Effective time management of your day
Managing your time well could be one of the simplest things that you do to control stress and anxiety levels. Have you ever found that the more harried you are by what is going on in your day the more stress and anxiety you feel?
Running late for work can have a knock-on effect for the rest of your day. Not planning your day can see you missing important appointments and getting behind. Make a real effort to effectively plan your day so that you have time to do all that you need to do, and give yourself time to relax and enjoy yourself.
21. Use the skills of a holistic life coach
A life coach could be just the person you need to help you combat stress and anxiety in your life. The tools and skills that they have can aid you in identifying where stress is coming from and they can give you help and support in overcoming it. They are there to support you and will work alongside you to get the results that you want from your life.
Final Thoughts
Using a holistic approach can be a helpful and productive way to deal with stress and anxiety. From the food that you consume to the exercise you take every aspect of your routine should be looked at and processed.
Look at any supplements that you need to top-up on, and look at the professional services of reflexologists, and reiki masters to aid you.
Complimentary therapies are a good way of spending some quality time relaxing and unwinding and removing yourself from the stresses of day-to-day life.
Anxiety and stress can be chronic conditions that can severely interfere with a person’s life. Other options that can be explored are working with professionals such as life coaches or holistic therapists who can aid in delving deeper into what is causing the triggers that can cause stress and anxiety to arise.
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