Self-Care
Many people think that self-care means getting a massage, or going to the spa or beach. While it does include activities like these, I prefer to think of true self care as self-love and self-respect.
Dr. Jen says:
Here’s a good way to look at this situation – If you are a parent or guardian, do you notice how much you overextend and sacrifice for your children?
You want to ensure they get good food, clothes, and medical care. You don’t want to hear about anything stressing them out, like a bully at school. Right?
It’s the same principle with YOU. Apply that same passion and love to yourself.
With real self-care, you must learn to love, respect, regard, and “rate” yourself enough to start taking good care of the “one body God gave you.”
And do remember, your body isn’t just physical. You are body, soul, and spirit in one.
Basic Foundation
The basic foundation of our body includes:
- Your body’s fuel is the food you eat and the fluids you drink
- Moving our body (through exercise) and adequate sunlight
- Lifestyle – how we act, think, and behave (discussed in previous article)
- Sleep and rest (previously discussed)
DIET – FOOD AND DRINK
Eat
- Whole foods, as much as possible in their natural state. For example:
eating plantain and NOT plantain chips.
- Aim for organic foods.
- Ensure your diet contains a lot of fish.
- Eat a lot of vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables.
Do observe how various foods make you feel after eating them
Avoid
- Highly processed foods with artificial dyes/colors, preservatives, hormones, flavourings, etc
- Sugary/sweet foods and drinks are notorious for triggering anxiety
- Caffeine – soda, coffee, energy drinks
- Alcohol
Dr. Jen says:
Think of food as the fuel to feed your body with the nutrients your cells need to thrive. Food is medicine.
Exercise
Long walks are good to help use up your stress hormones. Please don’t start off with excessively strenuous exercise. Remember your deep breathing exercises as well.
Also, incorporate other physical activities you enjoy such as dance, sports, cycling, etcetera.
Supplements
Magnesium, Ashwaghanda, St. John’s wort may be very useful. Many calming teas such as chamomile and soursop leaf are also beneficial.
Eliminate toxic exposures
- Blue light – from electronic devices trigger cortisol release (a stress hormone). Please refrain from your phone/laptop at sunset.
- Electromagnetic radiation
- Alcohol
- Toxic people – people who stress you, drain your energy, and cause unnecessary conflict and pain.
Prescription medications
In general, these medications help with the symptoms of anxiety but they don’t cure the root of the anxiety, nor do they heal the disease process.
First-line medications are sedatives like Xanax (Alprazolam) and Valium (Diazepam). They work fast to help calm you down. They are addictive and when you are on these for a long time, you can’t function without them. Some people even need them to sleep or else they won’t snooze at all.
Sleeping Pills – such as Ambien. These help insomnia or sleep issues which are a big problem for patients who suffer with anxiety.
Others – (Egs. Paxil, Lexapro) These aim to restore the balance of neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain. They come with a very long list of possible side effects.
Another important point to note is that certain other medications often cause anxiety as a side effect – certain vitamins, flu medications, steroids, etc
There are some people who cannot function without meds and I don’t want you to feel bad if you are. Know that just like any other condition, it’s not ideal and you should always work towards your complete healing and recovery.
Medical evaluation to ensure no other medical issues are at play should be considered if your symptoms seem prolonged or you don’t think you have a reason to be anxious.
Give to others and be charitable
Volunteering or donating to a charity in a meaningful way helps to take the focus off of yourself and allows you to love others.
You become more acutely aware of God’s goodness to you and you develop gratitude. Then you realise that anxiety is a very selfish state where all you can think about is yourself – your concerns, your worries. That’s why, it oftentimes is draining on the loved ones around you, and you may even notice that people avoid your company.
Prayer and deliverance
Now, if you have tried everything I‘ve said here over the last four articles (Anxiety is No Joke; Steps to Conquer Anxiety: Mind Control; Anxiety: De-Stressing; and finally, Anxiety: Self-Care Tips) and nothing seems to be working, and your anxiety seems pervasive (out of control), you probably need spiritual intervention.
Anxiety is grounded in fear. The Bible tells us that perfect love casts out all fear. For God so loved the world that He sent His Son…to give us life. You can be delivered from the spiritual shackles of fear and anxiety, for whom the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36)
Consider asking your pastor or trusted deliverance minister to cast out the spirit of fear.
Remember we are a triune being–body, soul and spirit. Doctors deal primarily with the physical. The Great Physician is the only one who can fix all the rest.
This is my final article in this series. I trust that it has been helpful to you as you heal and conquer anxiety.
Be blessed.
Dr. Jen
Serving God and the elderly are two of Dr. Baker’s passions. A house call doctor and health educator, she has been a Christian from her youth.