Oh no. Oh No! OH NO!!!!!

Have you found that your levels of anxiety lately are through the roof?!?!

I am Dr. Philip Rodger from RiverTown Chiropractic. We help people overcome chronic health struggles like headaches, migraines, anxiety, sciatica, and more. Our goal is to correct your problems so you can start to get back the time that you’ve lost, and the life that you miss. 

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So, you’re dealing with anxiety… Stressed out to the max, can’t keep a thought straight, mind always racing to the potential negative outcomes. Well… you’re not alone. This year, 2020, the year of COVID, has probably proven to cause the highest levels of anxiety in our society ever!

Even I am having high levels of anxiety this year, and I’m usually a pretty calm, cool, and collected individual. 

So today I’ve got four Home Run Life Hacks to help decrease your anxiety!

Alright, number one! Now, this may seem kind of obvious but you’d be surprised at how few people do this… TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF! That’s right, prioritize yourself for once. Go get a massage, do a yoga class, start learning how to meditate, heck even just getting outside in nature for a change will help to calm your nerves and lower your anxiety levels. You will be amazed at how calming just going out to a place in the woods, away from people, and just sitting with your eyes closed listening to the wind, trees, and animals can be. 

Number TWO! This is one that people tend to roll their eyes at, me included at times… Eat right. Yes, eating healthier non-processed foods can dramatically reduce the amount of anxiety that you experience. Processed foods tend to be very high in saturated and omega-6 fats that produce a lot of inflammation and stress on the body. Stress, even physical stress, can lead to an increase in symptoms of anxiety. So be good boys and girls and eat plenty of REAL food. Lean cuts of meat, fruits, and plenty of brightly colored veggies. Not only will it help with your anxiety, but you may lose a little weight too!

Number THREE! Limit the amount of alcohol and caffeine in your life. If you’re like me sometimes it feels like you couldn’t get anything done without your good old friend, coffee. While you may be thinking that coffee is making you more alert and productive it could be having the opposite effect long term. By continually pumping your body with stimulants like caffeine you shift your body into fight or flight mode. This high-stress state will amplify your feeling of anxiety and can even trigger panic attacks. Now when it comes to alcohol you may feel more relaxed, loosened up, or feel less shy… it is only temporary.

 Alcohol affects levels of the hormone serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain, which can make your anxiety worse in the long run when the alcohol wears off. These effects can last for hours or even up to an entire day after the alcohol wears off. Doing this habitually can lead to alcohol dependence and a whole host of other health issues that go along with alcohol dependence. 

Number Four! Exercise. Maintaining a regular exercise routine starts to build good habits as well as diverting you from the things that may be creating your anxiety in the first place. Just the physical act of motion in the body is going to help decrease muscular tension that we all typically feel when we are anxious. You know the kind of tension… When you’re wearing your shoulders like earrings, yeah that kind of tension.

Not only will it help with physical tension, but exercise also increases the availability of a whole host of anti-anxiety hormones including: serotonin, GABA, BDNF, and endocannabinoids. It also activates parts of your frontal cortex in your brain that is responsible for your individuality and functions further reducing your levels of anxiety.

There’s many more things that you can do to help reduce anxiety in your life but these four things will definitely get you on a great start to feeling better and more relaxed. If you would like to know more about how we can help you get your anxiety under control just shoot us an email at hello@rivertownchirofl.com and we’ll set up a virtual consultation to make sure that we are a good fit.