Karen Tyrrell

Healthline America’s leading online health magazine, requested to Guest Blog here on Karen’s mental health BLOG.

I’m so honoured!
Healthline asked me to choose a  topic. I chose ANXIETY, the world’s biggest mental health problem… A subject close to my heart since my RECOVERY from  parent-teacher bullying, post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder.

KILL Anxiety for Good

-by David Novak

If you have anxiety issues, or more serious, a diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), you’re up against a lot.  Anxiety can cause physical discomfort, acute worry and some major physical health problems.  Here are some suggestions to face anxiety head-on, and solve those intense worry issues without medication:

Get active and move
Exercise releases dopamine and serotonin, the feel good hormones you have that regulate your mood.  Try getting some exercise every day to release some tension. Even if you can’t set aside time for yourself to exercise alone, find other ways to build activity into your daily routine.  You can do standing push-ups against your desk, park farther away at the grocery store, run in place, walk to the playground with your kids or meet a friend for a walk instead of dessert.

Thoughts aren’t Real: Change your Response instead
The more you concentrate on a problem or worry, the greater that worry is.  In essence, you’re giving energy and importance to that problem.  The more you try to suppress a thought, the more it tends to return.  Since you can’t simply “turn off” thoughts, try to accept those thoughts, good or bad, rather than oppose them.  Striving for conscious good thoughts will help you change your relationship with your thoughts.

Put Good Food in your Body
What you’re eating and when you’re eating it can impact your worry and anxiety levels. The more stressed we are the more likely we are to eat what’s quick and yummy.  What we put into our body hugely impacts our brain chemistry, as well as the rest of our body. The more refined the carbohydrate the greater the spike and dip in blood sugar. This leads to stress on the whole body. Reduce sugar and caffeine because overdoing both can cause sleep disruption and more cravings. Eliminating these will pay dividends in the long run.

The Breath of Life
Even though it is somewhat silly to suggest, breathing is a “cure-all” for those moments of extreme anxiousness.  We all forget to do it, but research shows that people who are anxious do not breathe as deeply.  Deep breaths will help you slow down and regain perspective on what’s worrying you. The great news is that we have our breath available to us anytime.

David Novak is an international syndicated newspaper columnist, appearing in newspapers, magazines, radio and TV around the world. His by-line has appeared in GQ, National Geographic, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, USA Today, among others, and he has appeared on The Today Show, the CBS Morning Show and Paul Harvey Radio. David is a specialist at consumer technology, health and fitness, and he also owns a PR firm and a consulting company where he and his staff focus on these industries.  He is a regular contributing editor for Healthline.com.  For more information, visit here.

Calling Karen’s BLOG readers …

We ALL have the power within to KILL Anxiety for good.

So, let’s get active, change your thoughts to positive ones, and eat super healthy foods. And most importantly… Breathe deeply!!

1. Did these tips on Killing Anxiety for Good ring true for you?

2. Have you ever used these tips to KILL Anxiety?

3. Which is tip is the MOST powerful?

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