WEBVTT 00:00:31.002 --> 00:00:35.492 How to get rid of anxiety. 00:00:35.742 --> 00:00:38.882 Hello everyone. I'm really excited about today's video, 00:00:38.882 --> 00:00:41.782 because I'm someone who's suffered from post-traumatic stress 00:00:41.782 --> 00:00:44.183 disorder for many many years. 00:00:44.183 --> 00:00:48.542 This means that anxiety is something I've struggled with for a long time. 00:00:48.542 --> 00:00:51.609 And the thing about struggling with something for a long time is 00:00:51.609 --> 00:00:54.697 it has a way of forcing you to figure out what to do about it. 00:00:54.897 --> 00:01:00.361 Taking medications for anxiety is not the best option. 00:01:00.361 --> 00:01:05.331 Not only is it the least effective way that you can deal with anxiety, 00:01:05.331 --> 00:01:08.945 it's very harmful to the body to take these medications, 00:01:08.945 --> 00:01:11.611 and these medications are addictive. 00:01:11.611 --> 00:01:15.800 Any time you take something, a medication, a chemical, 00:01:15.800 --> 00:01:20.991 your body compensates for the presence of that chemical within your system. 00:01:21.221 --> 00:01:26.693 So what your brain essentially does is it stops producing the chemicals 00:01:26.693 --> 00:01:29.852 that you're taking via that pill. 00:01:30.312 --> 00:01:33.609 So what you'll find when you try to go to get off that pill 00:01:33.609 --> 00:01:37.449 is that your body is no longer producing those chemicals on its own. 00:01:37.449 --> 00:01:42.417 There's a lag time between the time that you've stopped taking the medication, 00:01:42.417 --> 00:01:46.398 and the time that your body recompensates for the absence of that chemical. 00:01:46.748 --> 00:01:50.245 And most people can't make it through that lag time. 00:01:50.798 --> 00:01:55.712 In other words, living life is just too painful off of the medication 00:01:55.712 --> 00:01:58.626 because the body hasn't recompensated fast enough 00:01:58.626 --> 00:02:02.245 for the person to be able to cope with their life. 00:02:02.384 --> 00:02:04.733 Anxiety is a worldwide problem. 00:02:04.733 --> 00:02:06.756 It is a problem where our own biology, 00:02:06.756 --> 00:02:10.027 which was designed to ensure our survival as hunters and gatherers, 00:02:10.027 --> 00:02:12.779 is sabotaging our bodies and minds. 00:02:12.779 --> 00:02:17.287 When we feel fear or stress, our body releases cortisol, 00:02:17.287 --> 00:02:19.090 which is a stress hormone. 00:02:19.090 --> 00:02:22.755 This cortisol release is part of a fight-or-flight response. 00:02:22.755 --> 00:02:25.122 Back in the day it enabled us to do things like 00:02:25.122 --> 00:02:28.757 jump out of the way of an attacking predator or a falling rock. 00:02:28.757 --> 00:02:32.592 In today's world those kinds of dangers aren't as relevant. 00:02:32.592 --> 00:02:34.258 But even though they aren't relevant 00:02:34.258 --> 00:02:37.373 we still have the same biological reaction to stress. 00:02:37.373 --> 00:02:41.145 Any time we perceive danger, our body reacts the same way it would 00:02:41.145 --> 00:02:45.921 if our survival were at risk, and our fight-or-flight response is triggered. 00:02:45.921 --> 00:02:49.382 The body releases cortisol when we get cut off on the highway, 00:02:49.382 --> 00:02:51.600 our body releases cortisol when we think about 00:02:51.600 --> 00:02:53.556 being unable to pay the bills on time, 00:02:53.556 --> 00:02:57.383 our body releases cortisol when we are approached by our boss. 00:02:57.383 --> 00:03:01.284 What's more, our body releases cortisol every time we think a fearful thought. 00:03:01.664 --> 00:03:04.915 Basically, instead of our modern lives being less stressful, 00:03:04.915 --> 00:03:08.421 they're an absolute minefield of stress-inducing scenarios. 00:03:08.421 --> 00:03:10.793 This means that cortisol, the stress hormone, 00:03:10.793 --> 00:03:13.866 is wreaking havoc on us in our day-to-day lives. 00:03:13.866 --> 00:03:18.139 Elevated cortisol levels doesn't just affect the way we feel emotionally, 00:03:18.139 --> 00:03:20.891 it interferes with learning and memory; 00:03:20.891 --> 00:03:23.615 it lowers immune function and bone density; 00:03:23.615 --> 00:03:25.894 it causes an increase in weight gain, 00:03:25.894 --> 00:03:29.198 blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart disease; 00:03:29.198 --> 00:03:31.783 it can trigger other mental illnesses; 00:03:31.783 --> 00:03:34.443 it increases the likelihood of depression; 00:03:34.443 --> 00:03:36.998 and it lowers our resiliency. 00:03:37.290 --> 00:03:40.674 Anyone who suffers with anxiety 00:03:40.674 --> 00:03:43.868 has a problem with one of our basic human needs, 00:03:43.868 --> 00:03:47.005 and that basic human need is certainty. 00:03:47.005 --> 00:03:49.340 What do we mean by certainty? 00:03:49.340 --> 00:03:51.921 We mean that feeling of internal security 00:03:51.921 --> 00:03:57.747 that we know that we can avoid pain and gain pleasure. 00:03:57.967 --> 00:04:02.888 Those of us who have anxiety don't know that this is true. 00:04:02.888 --> 00:04:08.229 That basic human need isn't met. Instead we feel powerless to our own lives, 00:04:08.229 --> 00:04:11.522 we feel fear relative to our own lives, 00:04:11.522 --> 00:04:16.735 and that causes our body to trigger the fight-or-flight response. 00:04:16.735 --> 00:04:22.703 It causes us to release cortisol, and when that happens we feel more anxious, 00:04:22.703 --> 00:04:27.288 so our body releases more cortisol, and that causes us to feel more anxious, 00:04:27.288 --> 00:04:32.379 which causes us to release more cortisol, and now we're caught in a snowball; 00:04:32.379 --> 00:04:34.546 we can't stop feeling anxious, 00:04:34.546 --> 00:04:38.763 our anxiety snowballs into serious panic attacks 00:04:38.763 --> 00:04:44.625 because we don't have the ability to meet our own need of certainty. 00:04:45.265 --> 00:04:48.458 Normally there would be an outlet for this rush of anxiety when 00:04:48.458 --> 00:04:50.541 the fight-or-flight response is triggered, 00:04:50.541 --> 00:04:52.794 such as running away from the perceived threat 00:04:52.794 --> 00:04:56.270 or screaming and crying, which brings up cortisol within the body. 00:04:56.270 --> 00:04:57.600 But in today's modern world 00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:01.349 there is no obvious course of action for the anxiety we feel, 00:05:01.349 --> 00:05:06.891 there is no outlet for that energy. So we have to create one, or many. 00:05:07.291 --> 00:05:11.484 One of the best ways to do this is through exercise on a daily basis. 00:05:11.874 --> 00:05:15.743 Any aerobic or cardiac activity will burn cortisol. 00:05:15.743 --> 00:05:19.330 It will create an outlet to release the pent-up energy that is associated 00:05:19.330 --> 00:05:23.332 with the fight-or-flight response, and 20 to 30 minutes is all you need 00:05:23.332 --> 00:05:26.583 to engage your body's natural ability to produce endorphins. 00:05:26.583 --> 00:05:29.377 Endorphins are a bit like naturally ocurring opiates, 00:05:29.377 --> 00:05:32.375 they relax you and induce a feeling of well-being. 00:05:32.935 --> 00:05:36.624 Eating foods that reduce anxiety is really important. 00:05:36.624 --> 00:05:39.541 There are foods that increase your anxiety, 00:05:39.541 --> 00:05:41.962 and there are foods that decrease your anxiety. 00:05:41.962 --> 00:05:46.292 It's important that you choose a diet that stabilises your blood sugar. 00:05:46.292 --> 00:05:51.405 When your blood sugar drops and it's low, the portion of your brain that's in charge 00:05:51.405 --> 00:05:54.152 of the fight-or-flight response is triggered, 00:05:54.152 --> 00:05:58.459 so you're more likely to feel anxiety throughout your day. 00:05:58.459 --> 00:06:04.790 Avoid fried foods, caffeine, high-glycemic carbohydrates, 00:06:04.790 --> 00:06:08.463 sugar, and alcoholic beverages. 00:06:08.463 --> 00:06:12.185 Some foods to include in your diet that have been shown to reduce anxiety 00:06:12.185 --> 00:06:18.319 for various reasons are: seaweed, also called nori; kimchi; 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:23.536 whole grains such as brown rice, farro, and quinoa; 00:06:23.536 --> 00:06:31.707 blueberries; dark chocolate; maca root; vitamin B-12 and vitamin B-6; 00:06:31.707 --> 00:06:35.587 omega-3 fatty acids like flax-seed oil; 00:06:35.587 --> 00:06:41.510 chamomile tea, oolong tea, and oatstraw tea; 00:06:41.510 --> 00:06:46.168 nuts, pumpkin seeds, and edamame. 00:06:46.168 --> 00:06:50.974 Any kind of meditation, visualization, 00:06:50.974 --> 00:06:56.564 or relaxation technique such as yoga, qigong, or tai-chi, 00:06:56.564 --> 00:06:59.154 will lower cortisol levels in the body, 00:06:59.154 --> 00:07:02.353 so sign up for those classes. 00:07:02.815 --> 00:07:08.286 Form close-knit human bonds. It's been shown over and over again 00:07:08.286 --> 00:07:11.927 that when we form connections with other people 00:07:11.927 --> 00:07:15.511 we are reducing cortisol within the body. 00:07:15.511 --> 00:07:18.678 Our parasympathetic nervous system is sedated 00:07:18.678 --> 00:07:22.217 when we are in close physical contact with other people, 00:07:22.217 --> 00:07:25.429 when we feel a sense of connection with them. 00:07:25.429 --> 00:07:27.598 Develop these connections. 00:07:27.598 --> 00:07:34.512 Humans are a social species. Isolation will increase your anxiety. 00:07:34.512 --> 00:07:37.677 Seek opportunities to laugh; 00:07:37.677 --> 00:07:41.153 when you're laughing your body can't perceive that it is in danger, 00:07:41.153 --> 00:07:44.345 because you're sending it the message that it's safe. 00:07:44.345 --> 00:07:47.037 So watch that stand-up comedian, 00:07:47.037 --> 00:07:50.260 watch those youtube shows that make you laugh. 00:07:50.260 --> 00:07:54.179 Seek any kind of fun that you can find, 00:07:54.179 --> 00:07:58.209 this will significantly reduce your levels of anxiety. 00:07:58.209 --> 00:08:01.297 It's also really important to get enough sleep, 00:08:01.297 --> 00:08:04.428 let yourself get 8 hours a night at least. 00:08:04.428 --> 00:08:10.537 Sleep is designed to reduce stress levels. When you fall asleep, you are realigning 00:08:10.537 --> 00:08:14.057 with your non-physical perspective, you're releasing all of the resistance 00:08:14.057 --> 00:08:16.723 that you carry with you on a daily basis, 00:08:16.723 --> 00:08:19.645 you're coming into alignment into a state of allowing, 00:08:19.645 --> 00:08:22.975 which is the opposite of anxiety. 00:08:22.975 --> 00:08:27.480 Allow yourself the opportunity to release your resistance in this way. 00:08:27.480 --> 00:08:32.228 Sleep is essential for those people who suffer from anxiety. 00:08:32.778 --> 00:08:37.060 Your fight-or-flight response is triggered when you don't get enough sleep, 00:08:37.060 --> 00:08:40.391 in the same way that it's triggered by low blood sugar, 00:08:40.391 --> 00:08:44.422 so it's really important that you let yourself get at least 8 hours a night. 00:08:44.899 --> 00:08:48.716 Sleep is the opportunity for you to come into alignment, 00:08:48.716 --> 00:08:53.120 to release all of the resistance that you've built up in your day-to-day life. 00:08:53.620 --> 00:08:56.211 Take advantage of that opportunity. 00:08:56.980 --> 00:09:00.750 Release your emotion. One of the best ways to do this 00:09:00.750 --> 00:09:04.834 is to talk to someone about it, or if you don't want to do that, 00:09:04.834 --> 00:09:08.696 to release your emotion by writing or typing it out. 00:09:08.696 --> 00:09:12.195 I don't want you to judge what's coming up. 00:09:12.195 --> 00:09:14.078 Whenever you feel anxiety, just sit down 00:09:14.078 --> 00:09:16.280 with that paper or in front of the computer, 00:09:16.280 --> 00:09:22.214 and start typing anything that comes out, all of your worry and stressful thoughts. 00:09:22.214 --> 00:09:24.884 I want you to just type them as fast 00:09:24.884 --> 00:09:28.412 as you can possibly type them without judging them. 00:09:28.642 --> 00:09:34.028 I want you to put down anything, no matter how nonsensical it may seem. 00:09:34.028 --> 00:09:38.892 Your body needs to release that energy, so let it release that energy. 00:09:40.379 --> 00:09:44.239 I have an example of a page that I wrote this week 00:09:44.239 --> 00:09:48.524 to release my own anxiety, so this is what this will sound like. 00:09:48.524 --> 00:09:51.692 I'm flipping out, I hate my life, what the hell was I thinking? 00:09:51.692 --> 00:09:53.357 My stomach hurts, I feel like crap. 00:09:53.357 --> 00:09:56.026 I hate people. I'm not getting anywhere. 00:09:56.026 --> 00:10:00.776 They won't publish my book. My fan is making me cold. 00:10:00.776 --> 00:10:03.048 I don't want to move, I can't move I'm stuck. 00:10:03.048 --> 00:10:05.760 I hate life, I should quit. I'm the worst parent on earth. 00:10:05.760 --> 00:10:08.580 I'm not hungry. I hate that everyone expects me to make breakfast. 00:10:08.580 --> 00:10:11.217 God dammit. I have a session today. I don't wanna do it. 00:10:11.227 --> 00:10:13.024 What the hell am I gonna say to them? 00:10:13.024 --> 00:10:15.099 Kill yourself now coz it doesn't get better? 00:10:15.099 --> 00:10:17.769 Fuck my life. I hate it here. I wanna die. 00:10:17.769 --> 00:10:20.332 I'm too fucked up to do anything good. 00:10:21.854 --> 00:10:23.433 I wanna remind most of you 00:10:23.433 --> 00:10:26.740 that there'll be a lot of swearing in this exercise. 00:10:26.740 --> 00:10:31.601 This expression process is not the time to be politically correct or polite. 00:10:31.601 --> 00:10:36.622 I want you to get out anything that you emotionally feel and are struggling with. 00:10:36.622 --> 00:10:39.291 Listen to music. 00:10:39.291 --> 00:10:43.466 Deliberately create playlists for yourself that reduce your anxiety. 00:10:43.466 --> 00:10:49.181 For me, dinner jazz works wonders, as does any music that allows me to bleed emotion. 00:10:49.181 --> 00:10:53.474 Certain musicians, for me it's Thomas Newman, have the ability to create tones 00:10:53.474 --> 00:10:57.808 that make you feel like the emotion that is trapped in you is being leeched out. 00:10:57.808 --> 00:11:00.813 Motivating music works well too because it inspires you 00:11:00.813 --> 00:11:03.569 towards seeking an outlet for your stress. 00:11:03.569 --> 00:11:06.825 You want to avoid any music that stimulates your nervous system, 00:11:06.825 --> 00:11:10.574 makes you feel stressed, or provokes negative emotion. 00:11:10.574 --> 00:11:17.242 Breathing exercises works for anxiety, that is, taking a long deep breath in, 00:11:18.595 --> 00:11:22.154 and a long deep breath out, breathing deep into your belly 00:11:22.154 --> 00:11:24.818 instead of staying up here in shallow breathing 00:11:24.818 --> 00:11:28.886 where you're just pulling energy into your lungs. 00:11:28.886 --> 00:11:33.301 Breathing techniques have been shown to reduce cortisol again and again. 00:11:33.301 --> 00:11:36.137 My anxiety was so bad throughout my life 00:11:36.137 --> 00:11:38.637 that breathing exercises was a little bit like 00:11:38.637 --> 00:11:43.018 chipping at a glacier with a spoon, so I prefer to use breathing exercises 00:11:43.018 --> 00:11:47.442 in conjunction with other exercises instead of purely on its own. 00:11:47.442 --> 00:11:51.280 But try these breathing exercises, you can find them all over the internet, 00:11:51.280 --> 00:11:53.719 and see how they work for you. 00:11:53.719 --> 00:11:57.468 The bottom line if you suffer from anxiety is that you have to allow yourself 00:11:57.468 --> 00:12:01.639 to do what is necessary to make yourself feel good throughout the day. 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:04.296 You've got to be deliberate about how you wake up. 00:12:04.296 --> 00:12:06.803 You've got to be deliberate about how you go to sleep 00:12:06.803 --> 00:12:09.801 and how you structure your life in between, 00:12:09.801 --> 00:12:13.346 and this kind of self care has got to be okay for you. 00:12:13.346 --> 00:12:17.469 If you suffer from anxiety you have a highly sensitive system, 00:12:17.469 --> 00:12:19.821 that doesn't mean that something's wrong with you. 00:12:19.821 --> 00:12:22.304 Potentially it means that something's right with you, 00:12:22.304 --> 00:12:24.554 and everyone else is just shut down. 00:12:24.554 --> 00:12:31.053 Take the time to structure your life to give yourself this TLC. 00:12:31.053 --> 00:12:36.797 You need to really commit to self care if you suffer from anxiety. 00:12:37.347 --> 00:12:41.099 I was one of those people who woke up with such bad anxiety attacks 00:12:41.099 --> 00:12:44.220 that after an hour or two of struggling with them in the morning, 00:12:44.220 --> 00:12:47.580 I'd end up suicidal or self-injuring. 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:54.009 But I have actually found a routine that works for me perfectly. 00:12:54.009 --> 00:12:59.137 But I will tell you that even to this day, if I don't do this routine 00:12:59.137 --> 00:13:02.223 I still wake up with anxiety attacks. 00:13:02.223 --> 00:13:04.737 I'm gonna share this routine with you today. 00:13:04.737 --> 00:13:07.802 Keep in mind that the routine that works for you may be different 00:13:07.802 --> 00:13:09.942 than the one that works for me. 00:13:09.942 --> 00:13:14.640 The goal, if you suffer from anxiety, is to collect all kinds of tools 00:13:14.640 --> 00:13:18.032 and all kinds of processes that you can apply throughout your day 00:13:18.032 --> 00:13:23.371 that work specifically for you, to set up your own individual unique routine. 00:13:23.371 --> 00:13:24.996 Here's mine: 00:13:24.996 --> 00:13:31.719 1. When I first wake up, before I even open my eyes, I take 8 deep breaths 00:13:31.719 --> 00:13:37.425 where I'm holding my breath for the count of 8 at the top, so it looks like this. 00:13:45.423 --> 00:13:47.407 I do that 8 times. 00:13:47.967 --> 00:13:50.528 2. I immediately go get something to eat. 00:13:50.528 --> 00:13:53.315 Cortisol levels are highest first thing in the morning, 00:13:53.315 --> 00:13:55.756 which is why so many people who suffer from anxiety 00:13:55.756 --> 00:13:58.677 wake up with panic attacks. When blood sugar is low, 00:13:58.677 --> 00:14:02.558 like it is first thing in the morning, it triggers your fight-or-flight response, 00:14:02.558 --> 00:14:05.360 so we need to get our blood sugar levels up and quickly. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:08.081 But we don't want to spike our blood sugar. 00:14:08.081 --> 00:14:11.290 That's just setting ourselves up for failure later in the day. 00:14:11.290 --> 00:14:14.384 So we want to choose foods that stabilise our blood sugar. 00:14:14.384 --> 00:14:17.464 I usually choose a handful of almonds and berries, 00:14:17.464 --> 00:14:21.138 a raw formula meal replacer or protein powder 00:14:21.138 --> 00:14:24.226 mixed with coconut milk or almond milk, 00:14:24.226 --> 00:14:27.976 or a banana with mixed nuts and water. 00:14:27.976 --> 00:14:30.016 3. I write in my expression journal. 00:14:30.016 --> 00:14:33.651 This is the place I allow myself to unleash all my fearful negative thoughts 00:14:33.651 --> 00:14:36.858 and worries so I have an outlet for that anxious feeling. 00:14:36.858 --> 00:14:39.279 4. I write in my gratitude journal. 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:42.532 This orients my focus from my thoughts that were causing me to panic, 00:14:42.532 --> 00:14:44.955 to the thoughts that induce a feeling of well-being. 00:14:44.955 --> 00:14:48.482 It forces me to look for and pay attention to things that make me feel good 00:14:48.482 --> 00:14:51.867 and thus begin to feel that the life I'm living might actually be good, 00:14:51.867 --> 00:14:55.214 and this causes my fight-or-flight response to shut off. 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:58.116 5. I exercise. 00:14:58.116 --> 00:15:00.127 I have collected a group of people who feel 00:15:00.127 --> 00:15:02.323 more motivated to work out when we're together, 00:15:02.323 --> 00:15:04.904 and now we all go out together in the morning and hike 00:15:04.904 --> 00:15:07.741 or speed-walk or do plyometric training, or ski together. 00:15:07.741 --> 00:15:10.512 The connection I feel with them reduces my cortisol levels 00:15:10.512 --> 00:15:12.561 and the exercise itself burns off cortisol 00:15:12.561 --> 00:15:16.481 and introduces endorphins into my blood stream. 00:15:16.481 --> 00:15:21.574 6. When I get back from exercising I drink two 8 oz glasses of water. 00:15:21.574 --> 00:15:26.246 This allows my liver to rid my body of excess hormones. 00:15:26.246 --> 00:15:32.445 Your liver is the organ in your body that deals with excess hormones 00:15:32.445 --> 00:15:35.444 and remember that cortisol is a hormone. 00:15:35.444 --> 00:15:38.379 I also keep sipping water throughout the day, 00:15:38.379 --> 00:15:41.383 and I make sure that this water isn't tap water; 00:15:41.383 --> 00:15:44.218 I make sure that it's spring water or artesian well water, 00:15:44.218 --> 00:15:48.032 or some kind of water that isn't completely full of chemicals. 00:15:48.262 --> 00:15:52.058 7. I let myself be a diva. 00:15:52.058 --> 00:15:54.231 What do I mean by this? 00:15:54.231 --> 00:15:56.161 Most of us who suffer from anxiety 00:15:56.161 --> 00:15:58.186 have perfected the art of forcing ourselves 00:15:58.186 --> 00:16:00.656 to do things that feel terrible to us emotionally. 00:16:00.656 --> 00:16:03.315 We end up having breakdowns because our nervous systems 00:16:03.315 --> 00:16:05.908 perceive danger everywhere we turn. 00:16:05.908 --> 00:16:09.203 We need to allow ourselves to live a little unconventionally 00:16:09.203 --> 00:16:11.205 and do unconventional things 00:16:11.205 --> 00:16:14.515 if it would enable us to feel safer and more relaxed. 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:18.447 For example, I get extreme anxiety 00:16:18.447 --> 00:16:21.229 when I am going anywhere by myself. 00:16:21.229 --> 00:16:23.931 The traditional model of dealing with fear 00:16:23.931 --> 00:16:26.552 says that you should force yourself to be alone 00:16:26.552 --> 00:16:29.435 so that your body will desensitize to it. 00:16:29.435 --> 00:16:32.024 This forcing your body to desensitize 00:16:32.024 --> 00:16:33.995 is forcing your body to dissociate, 00:16:33.995 --> 00:16:37.150 so it's not actually solving any major problem, 00:16:37.150 --> 00:16:41.490 what it's doing is causing you to shut off to your emotional guidance system. 00:16:41.490 --> 00:16:44.697 It's pretty much the dumbest thing you can do. 00:16:44.697 --> 00:16:48.829 It's never self loving to force yourself to get over something. 00:16:48.829 --> 00:16:53.083 That is a harsh approach, it is not a gentle approach. 00:16:53.083 --> 00:16:57.085 And if you take a harsh approach to something that's feeling anxious, 00:16:57.085 --> 00:17:01.951 what you're doing is you're adding punishment on top of fear. 00:17:01.951 --> 00:17:03.942 Sounds like a good idea to me. [sarcasm] 00:17:03.942 --> 00:17:06.869 More often than not, all a rough approach does 00:17:06.869 --> 00:17:10.968 when it comes to fear is cause us to have mental breakdowns. 00:17:11.966 --> 00:17:16.393 So, I allow myself to take people I associate with safety 00:17:16.393 --> 00:17:19.795 and home with me when I go places. 00:17:20.107 --> 00:17:22.910 Remember that if anyone else thinks you should or shouldn't 00:17:22.910 --> 00:17:27.530 live in a specific way, it is projection. They are imposing their perspective 00:17:27.530 --> 00:17:30.492 on your life and asking you to validate their perspective. 00:17:30.492 --> 00:17:31.957 This is not your job. 00:17:31.957 --> 00:17:36.243 Your job is to find out what feels most empowering and joyful to you personally 00:17:36.243 --> 00:17:39.465 and then allow yourselves to do those things. 00:17:39.675 --> 00:17:42.290 We do not get upset when someone who is in a wheelchair 00:17:42.290 --> 00:17:44.906 needs to structure his or her life a little differently 00:17:44.906 --> 00:17:46.781 in order to have a pleasant experience. 00:17:46.781 --> 00:17:50.446 We should not get upset with ourselves if our tendency towards anxiety 00:17:50.446 --> 00:17:52.506 causes us to have to structure our life 00:17:52.506 --> 00:17:55.631 a little differently in order to have a pleasant experience. 00:17:55.631 --> 00:17:59.026 If we are all loving in alignment, we would all be structuring our lives 00:17:59.026 --> 00:18:02.233 a little differently according to our own desires and needs. 00:18:03.217 --> 00:18:06.561 If you suffer from anxiety, it is extremely important 00:18:06.561 --> 00:18:10.358 that you practice the art of self-loving. 00:18:10.482 --> 00:18:12.740 This is how it works: 00:18:12.740 --> 00:18:18.129 If you're a person like me who has an issue with anxiety when you are alone, 00:18:18.129 --> 00:18:21.425 in the beginning it's not very loving to yourself 00:18:21.425 --> 00:18:25.096 to force yourself to go somewhere alone. 00:18:25.096 --> 00:18:28.394 But eventually you might find that something happens. 00:18:28.394 --> 00:18:32.396 It no longer feels empowering, it no longer feels self-loving and good 00:18:32.396 --> 00:18:36.436 for you to be stuck in a situation where you can't go places alone. 00:18:36.436 --> 00:18:39.961 And that's the time that you can start venturing out 00:18:39.961 --> 00:18:44.882 and practicing being alone, practicing taking trips alone, 00:18:44.882 --> 00:18:49.352 and only at that point will that action be self-loving. 00:18:49.352 --> 00:18:52.930 Only at that point will it be in alignment with your empowerment, 00:18:52.930 --> 00:18:55.725 instead of fuel your anxiety. 00:18:55.725 --> 00:18:59.812 So you need to be very honest with yourself about where you currently are, 00:18:59.812 --> 00:19:06.440 and you need only take steps towards self-love, that means the only time 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:11.018 you should try to solve anything relative to the anxiety you suffer 00:19:11.018 --> 00:19:15.440 is if it feels self-loving and empowering to do it 00:19:16.224 --> 00:19:23.422 8. I make sure that before I go to bed I'm in a good vibrational space. 00:19:23.422 --> 00:19:25.715 That means, I watch funny movies, 00:19:25.715 --> 00:19:30.267 I watch proposal videos on youtube, I play board games, 00:19:30.267 --> 00:19:33.348 I cuddle with my communal family members. 00:19:33.348 --> 00:19:38.954 I do anything that puts me in a good mood so that my focus is not on worry. 00:19:39.472 --> 00:19:42.478 This is a good time to write in your gratitude journal. 00:19:42.478 --> 00:19:44.192 Sometimes, right before I go to bed, 00:19:44.192 --> 00:19:46.428 I sit down and I write an entire list of things 00:19:46.428 --> 00:19:49.200 that I feel grateful for throughout the day. 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:53.951 We dream in accordance with what we think about during our day-to-day lives, 00:19:53.951 --> 00:19:56.786 especially what we think about right before we go to bed. 00:19:56.786 --> 00:19:59.962 So you don't want to have nightmares based on thinking about things 00:19:59.962 --> 00:20:03.420 that cause you to feel anxiety right before you go to sleep. 00:20:03.420 --> 00:20:08.326 And another thing, when you wake up and you rephase with your physical body, 00:20:08.526 --> 00:20:13.225 you will pick up where you left off, meaning that if you've been thinking about 00:20:13.225 --> 00:20:19.271 things that cause you to feel anxious, you will pick up in an anxious state of mind, 00:20:19.271 --> 00:20:24.565 and that will set your day off already on a very bad foot. 00:20:25.227 --> 00:20:27.820 So you want to make sure to structure your life, 00:20:27.820 --> 00:20:29.951 especially relative to before you go to bed, 00:20:29.951 --> 00:20:33.337 in a way that you're building a platform for success for the day 00:20:33.337 --> 00:20:36.210 that you're about to lead when you wake up in the morning. 00:20:36.210 --> 00:20:41.133 9. I ask someone to rub my feet or tickle my skin softly when I'm laying in bed. 00:20:41.133 --> 00:20:44.270 This physical contact makes me feel safe, 00:20:44.270 --> 00:20:48.005 and like all human connection, it reduces cortisol levels in my body. 00:20:48.005 --> 00:20:51.508 If the idea of physical contact makes you more anxious, you can buy 00:20:51.508 --> 00:20:55.753 hand-held massagers, massager pillows, and massage chairs, 00:20:55.753 --> 00:20:58.315 to help you wind down at the end of the day. 00:20:58.315 --> 00:21:03.006 10. I'm very deliberate about what I eat. 00:21:03.006 --> 00:21:08.156 I've structured my diet in a way that stabilizes my blood sugar all day long. 00:21:08.156 --> 00:21:11.588 I make sure that I eat small snacks throughout the day, 00:21:11.588 --> 00:21:16.206 Instead of eating three large meals, and letting my blood sugar drop in between. 00:21:16.206 --> 00:21:23.257 I have found that diet is one of the most important keys to controlling my anxiety, 00:21:24.133 --> 00:21:28.677 so it's really important that you try that out relative to yourself as well. 00:21:29.277 --> 00:21:33.569 Anxiety is the body reflecting the thoughts that you're thinking, 00:21:33.569 --> 00:21:37.985 and if you suffer from anxiety that means that you spend your time 00:21:37.985 --> 00:21:44.225 thinking thoughts that vibrate in the body at the frequency of fear. 00:21:44.479 --> 00:21:46.876 Questioning your fearful thoughts and changing them 00:21:46.876 --> 00:21:49.628 will do more for your anxiety than anything else. 00:21:49.628 --> 00:21:55.008 When you feel that feeling of anxiety, try to identify the thought or thoughts 00:21:55.008 --> 00:21:58.214 that you're thinking, and question them one by one. 00:21:58.214 --> 00:22:01.096 Byron Katie developed a process called The Work, 00:22:01.096 --> 00:22:02.709 for questioning your beliefs. 00:22:02.709 --> 00:22:06.127 In my opinion it's the best process out there for questioning beliefs, 00:22:06.127 --> 00:22:08.792 and I developed a process for changing beliefs. 00:22:08.792 --> 00:22:10.879 You can find it on youtube. 00:22:10.894 --> 00:22:12.866 I present it in a video titled: 00:22:12.866 --> 00:22:15.074 How to change a beleif. 00:22:15.151 --> 00:22:17.915 Now remember if you're having a full blown panic attack 00:22:17.915 --> 00:22:19.581 I made a video called: 00:22:19.581 --> 00:22:21.484 How to stop a Panic Attack. 00:22:21.484 --> 00:22:23.165 It's on youtube as well. 00:22:23.165 --> 00:22:26.951 In this video I'll lead you through a process that ends panic attacks. 00:22:26.951 --> 00:22:30.375 Panic attacks are a little bit different than anxiety. 00:22:30.375 --> 00:22:32.833 They're a more intense extension of anxiety. 00:22:32.833 --> 00:22:34.486 So if you're having a panic attack, 00:22:34.486 --> 00:22:37.750 instead of watching this video, and utilizing these tools, 00:22:37.750 --> 00:22:42.498 I want you to go turn to that video, and follow along with that process. 00:22:42.882 --> 00:22:48.169 As I said earlier, people who suffer from anxiety have a difficult time believing 00:22:48.169 --> 00:22:53.801 that they create their own reality. They don't have a way yet 00:22:53.801 --> 00:22:59.766 of fulfilling the basic human need of certainty. The certainty that they can 00:22:59.766 --> 00:23:05.689 structure their life to gain pleasure and not experience pain. 00:23:06.181 --> 00:23:08.276 This means if you suffer from anxiety 00:23:08.276 --> 00:23:11.193 it's extremely important that you're deliberate 00:23:11.193 --> 00:23:13.862 about what you put your focus on. 00:23:14.415 --> 00:23:17.345 Withdraw your attention from anything that 00:23:17.345 --> 00:23:20.348 makes you feel powerless or like a victim, 00:23:20.348 --> 00:23:23.726 or like you don't control the circumstances of your life. 00:23:23.726 --> 00:23:27.974 Don't watch that news station. Don't watch those movies. 00:23:27.974 --> 00:23:29.978 Don't read those books or articles 00:23:29.978 --> 00:23:34.306 that make you feel as if the world happens to you, 00:23:34.306 --> 00:23:39.327 your life happens to you, and all you can do is cope with it. 00:23:39.327 --> 00:23:43.574 Instead, place your attention on any material 00:23:43.789 --> 00:23:47.400 that makes you feel empowered, 00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:50.864 place your attention on anything that fills you full of the truth 00:23:50.864 --> 00:23:56.870 that you can control the reality that you're living in, that it is absolutely 00:23:56.870 --> 00:24:01.397 in your hands whether you feel good or feel bad. 00:24:01.397 --> 00:24:07.638 This sense of empowerment is the opposite vibration of the feeling of anxiety, 00:24:07.638 --> 00:24:11.938 so try out these tips and techniques and see how they work for you. 00:24:11.938 --> 00:24:13.891 Have a good week.