10 Ways To Reduce Anxiety And Why Mental Health Should Be Priority # 1

There is a lot happening in the world….

And your body and mind are amazing machines, processing all the emotions, stressors and information that comes into your life every single day.

It’s kind of amazing actually, how much processing our minds and our bodies do.

Today’s post is a kind reminder to keep your mind and body a priority.

Because, although your mind and body are amazing at what they do….

They need help a lot.

Because sometimes, they learn things the wrong way.

And they learn to react to things inappropriately.

When the body is in anxiety or panic it is the body doing the thing it is supposed to do but its doing it at the wrong time.

We need our bodies to react to danger.

But not everything is dangerous or overwhelming.

The mind can’t tell the difference until we teach it to see the differences.

We need to help the body out and build resilience, security and safety within our bodies and our minds.

The first step to do this is say out loud that you prioritize both your body and your mind.

Repeat after me out loud right now: “I prioritize my body and my mind.”

Then you should schedule time on your calendar, prioritizing body and mind nurturing activities.

This prioritization happens first on my calendar before any other personal or business task.

And these scheduled activities are non negotiables.

These are not things to later cancel or book on top of.

They are also not “to do’s”.

We cannot make work of this type of service to our selves.

It must come with flow, self awareness and a deep longing to get to know ourselves in a more intimate and loving way.

If blocks are coming up for you here I recommend writing about this, or seeking professional help or maybe some health coaching services.

It’s ok to ask for help.

The activities once you are doing them should be as natural as possible, it should not include technology (unless it is a carefully selected audio meditation.)

A cup of tea, a warm bath, some movement, self massage….

It is an invitation to get to know yourself and to enjoy the present moment.

The therapeutic dose that has become standard for self care is 15 minutes a day.

I invite you to start with this and then to expand into more.

The nervous system of the body, when provided more tools and time for nourishment expands in the knowledge of what it is processing and it will be able to shift into these more relaxed states instead of switching on sympathetic responses.

Education is expansion. Become a teacher to your body!

I have taught as an educator a long time, 20 years actually, and many times what sticks for others when I teach is what I was most excited to teach.

I have seen it many times before when working with children.

If there was is a lesson, for example you read a book for the first time, the part that left you excited or interested is the part that they, the listeners will remember.

This is because the emotional connection to the information is what makes the embodiment of the information become knowledge.

The body and the mind are your students.

Show them your emotions, express your emotions in new and safe ways.

Your body and your mind? They are two close friends.

Remind yourself that you are a resilient person, every single day.

And don’t forget to practice breathing.

Because you breath every single day without your control

But make a few breaths a day intentional to improve your breath.

And feel the difference.