A 5 Second Trick to Beating Anxiety

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I've been chatting a lot about anxiety lately: five signs you might be experiencing it and also, three ways to naturally kick it to the curb. Today I thought I'd mention one of the simplest tricks I've been using to beat anxiety...

Smiling :).

Sounds crazy right? Actually, no. Try it right now! Smile a big ol' toothy grin at your computer for five seconds, and notice how this expression feels for your mind, your heart, and your body. If you're in a public setting, maybe your coworker or the kid studying next to you is giving you a weird look. Good! It'll make them smile!

Here's why it works: Smiling is a signal to your body of happiness. When do you smile most? When you're experiencing joy! So when you smile, even when you're frustrated or sad or stressed, those joyful hormones are released. There is also a hypothesis about facial feedback. Plus, it's so simple. You can literally smile at any time during your day, so it's unlikely you'll make an excuse or not want to do it.

They say the happiest, most successful people are those who wake up and laugh. When your anxiety is at an all time high, though, laughing seems impossible. Smiling, however, is just the upward curving of your lips. It's more accessible and easier when you're too sad to convince yourself to do anything else.

When you wake up in the morning, form a big, bright smile, and hold it there for five seconds. Bonus points for looking yourself in the mirror while telling yourself, "I love you. You are enough." Try it everyday for at least 21 days, and take account how it affects your day-to-day life.

Like how it's making you feel? You can't overdose on smiles, so keep 'em coming!

Cheers to anxiety-free, Great Vibes! Xx.

What do you think of smile therapy? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Beat the Afternoon Slump: 3 Natural Alternatives to Coffee

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So, that above statement is truer than true, am I right? As a proud coffee addict, this was never a post I imagined writing. It's coffee coffee coffee all day every day. Even as I edit this, I'm drinking my morning cup, so why would I be looking for alternatives?

Anxiety.

This past week, I found myself extra anxious having my afternoon cup. I found myself easily overwhelmed and worried over things which normally I'm pretty chill about. When I was sick a few weeks ago, I didn't even want coffee (serious gasp) and since then, I've been hyper aware of how it's affecting my system. Thus, today's post. Lately I am all about alleviating anxiety a kind and natural way, especially since I wrote last week about 5 ways you might have anxiety and not know it. But, and this is a huge but, I have trouble avoiding my love in the afternoon.

I recognize my mental health - and thus my overall health - is far more important than my traditional cup, but there's something so lovely about my afternoon tradition. In high school, I always shared a cup of coffee with my mom, chatting about my day, and taking a moment away from work to energize and refocus. Serious nostalgia for those laughs and memories, and every day I have a cup of coffee around three, I'm reminded to take a deep breath and settle into my afternoon workflow. Coffee is definitely part of my identity -- you'll never see me without a coffee mug (ceramic or travel, I don't discriminate); I'm always scheduling meetings and dates at coffee shops; and my new favorite shirt says, "all I need is coffee & mascara". Coffee is life. My life.

But while researching all kinds of greatness for a guide coming to The Shop next month, I stumbled across several alternatives to coffee. Curious, I tried them, knowing I could always follow them up with the ol' standby worst case scenario. Surprisingly, I was elated to find they were just as energizing, equally delicious, and still provided many great health benefits.

Without further ado, here are tried-and-true alternatives to coffee that provide lasting energy and beat the afternoon slump. Think: no spikes or jitteriness!

1. Apples

If you know me personally, up about as high on the totem pole as coffee is my love for apples. An apple a day keeps me happy, and lately I'll even admit to having two! Apples are composed of natural sugars, which the body quickly digests and turns into energy. Because apples are high in fiber, they’re absorbed by the body more slowly, which results in a continual stream of energy (a.k.a. no spikes or crashes -- heck yeah). I was intrigued by my favorite food when I read apples can give you a better energy boost than coffee.

2. Peppermint Tea with Honey

This is definitely my new favorite. In fact, I'm kind of obsessed - emoji with heart eyes - over this drink. Peppermint is naturally stimulating. It supports healthy digestion and has a sweet, strong taste all on it's own. Adding honey, though, really kicks it up a notch. Low on the glycemic index, honey is nature’s version of a quick energy shot, giving you a steady stream of energy to tackle all you have on your plate. Honey also has a whole host of other amazing properties, but we'll save that for another day. This mix is especially good before or after a workout. I've been drinking it mid-morning through work and in the late afternoon to tame my sugar habit and beat the slump and it's doing wonders.

3. Chia Seeds

So chia seeds have/had/will always have a moment in my life. They are probably the best addition to my plant-based diet ever. They are full of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, phosphorus, and protein, meaning they tick off some serious nutrient necessities and keep you satiated. A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning concluded that consuming chia seeds enhanced exercise performance for 90-minute workouts the same way as an energy drink would, but without all the extra sugar. The recipe below takes the natural, energizing benefits of fruit sugars combined with these nutritional powerhouses to create a delicious, tastes-like-desert, afternoon snack seriously capable of kicking the afternoon slump.


Chia Seed Pudding:
+ 1/4 cup chia seeds
+ 2 cups almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice/ water also works)
+ 1 banana
+ Optional: 1tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, and tumeric

If you have a blender, grind the chia seeds, add the banana and liquid, and blend it all together. If you're running low on time or don't have a blender/grinder, mash the banana with a fork, add the milk, and stir in the chia seeds. Let sit 45 minutes or longer in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Note: The chia seeds absorb 10x their weight in water, making a deliciously creamy pudding. By letting them sit for a length of time, the flavors combine and the recipe thickens, but if you are short on time, don't stress. It's still really good. Once the mixture reaches desired consistency, let your afternoon slump be gone!

There are some pretty great finds if I do say so myself. While I am definitely making these swaps, I'll be honest, sometimes I just want the quiet nostalgia of drinking coffee in the afternoon. Anxiety is real and sometimes kind thoughts and memories handle it better than diet, but these three alternatives are amazing. When I have them, I don't feel jittery or shaky. I haven't felt out of my skin or unable to process what is happening around me or to me. Instead, I feel stable, able to handle what's being thrown my way. I'd say nutrition for the win!

What is your favorite afternoon pick me up? Let's chat in the comments below?

P.S. Did you know you get The Great Vibes New Year Guide when you sign up for The Newsletter? Subscribe right now >>>>>

P.S.S. Have you checked out all of the
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5 Signs You Have Anxiety and Don't Know It

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anxiety-underwater.jpg

I've written previously (here & here) about grief and sadness and being okay with not being okay, but I thought I'd share with you something I wasn't expecting at all from all of my emotional mayhem...

I became incredibly anxious.

When I say incredibly anxious I mean outstandingly so to the point of doing nothing but crying and wanting a cup of tea and my bed and my heart rate to slow down. It felt as if there was a weight in my stomach, a vise on my head, and my thoughts raced around unstructured and frustrated.

I'm telling you this because it's not uncommon. These feelings of overwhelm and stress have become second nature to society, a pseudo-desire of hard work and progress if you will.

I'm telling you that's bull****.

You can be successful, celebrated, and revered without stress or anxiety. It's not easy by any means, but it's worth putting in the effort.

Here are 5 things you might not know about how stress can affect your mind and body ...

1. You might be grinding your jaw or clenching it tightly.
When we are stressed, we tend to tense our muscles, like you would if someone were about to hit or punch you. That kind of tension is part of the natural fight or flight response. Tension caused by anxiety or stress is rarely relieved, meaning your entire body is in this constant clench. Cue sensitive teeth and painful chewing.

2. You might have stomach and intestine complications
The gang's all here in the form of indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, etc. Anxiety can make you feel jittery and high-strung, and while it's affecting your mental state and ability to breathe, it's making your belly just as jittery and high-strung, and it'll react by making you uncomfortably bloated or running to the bathroom every so often.

3. You might experience body aches like never before.
Like with excessive grinding of your jaw or clenching it tightly, the rest of your body is still doing that. It might feel like you've run a marathon or just done crossfit 10 times over even if you haven't left your bed. Your body is tightly wound at this point and making you aware of it all.

4. You might be sick more frequently.
When our bodies are on go-mode all of the time, our immune system cannot keep up. Most people suffering from anxiety or stress have difficulty sleeping or eating foods that boost their bodies health and these factors can wear down the body even more, making us susceptible to colds, flu and stomach bugs, and other germs our bodies would normally be capable of fighting off in good health.

5. You might have dull hair and skin or have more breakouts than before.
Stress and anxiety in our bodies release cortisol (the stress chemical, really). This can lead to an excess in oil production on our skin, so we can say helllooooo to breakouts. It can also lead hair to go into telogen phase where it is falling out easily. When we're not eating well or paying attention to our health, we're not getting the vitamins and nutrients our bodies need to survive and thrive.
 

How does that all relate to your life right now? Are you finding there are similarities? Differences? Variations on the theme? Making this post today, I was amazed at how one little word causes so much trauma in the body. But that list is no beuno!!!

Luckily, we have the control to turn anxiety around - most people think it lies in medicine and forgetting all about it (and for some that might work) - but almost always it comes with digging down to the deep, dark, root issues and spend a lot of time asking the hard questions: Why is this happening? What can I do? How is this affecting my life?

In other words, the winner of life (not that there is such a person) is not the most anxious who still manages to succeed. The winner is the person thriving without stress or anxiety and rocking a life of Great Vibes. You have the power to be the latter every single day.

It's time to tap into that power!

Cheers to Great Vibes!
Xx. Em

UP NEXT WEEK:: So I Have Anxiety, What Do I Do About It?

+ What is your experience with anxiety? Share in the comments below!

P.S. I don't know why the font is so small, babes! Technology, I swear ...

P.S.S Did you know you get The Great Vibes New Year Guide when you sign up for The Newsletter?
Subscribe right now >>>>>

P.S.S.S Have you checked out all of the
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