I thought this quote that I found was very appropriate to some issues that many of us deal with. So often, we focus on all of the negative things in life and don’t allow ourselves the potential to grow by doing this. Negativity weighs us down both mentally and spirituality. How often do you see a grumpy, angry at the world type person in good health and physical standing? Not so often.
So I would like to take this time to talk about anxiety and depression from my personal stand point, and how so many options are out there for people to tackle these issues, holistically.
I am an anxious eater. When i’m nervous I find that I think about a problem less if I’m occupying myself with food. Whatever issue passes, then I realize how silly that was of me and swear to never do it again. Until the next time I’m anxious about a situation. It’s a ridiculous circle and it’s not one that’s hard to get out of. I could easily blame my genetics, the way I was raised or my environment growing up (a lot of unhealthy foods, processed snacks, sugar, sugar, sugar), but that’s not fair. And not reasonable. I’m an adult and have recently been taking responsibility for my eating habits and let me tell you, it feels great! When I’m anxious, I no longer reach for the chocolate or pretzels (I used to be obsessed with pretzels) I focus my energy on something positive. I make lists of WHY I’m anxious, WHAT good feeling this way is doing to my body (most of the time 0 good, not even a little good at all!) and what I can DO instead of eating, to maybe pass the time or take my focus somewhere else. Usually my lists look something like this:
WHY
1. I don’t know what the outcome of the situation is going to be.
2. I don’t have total control over the situation.
3. I still don’t know what the outcome is going to be.
(Can you see the A-type in me? 😉 )
WHAT
1. Both the anxiety and potential food is making my stomach hurt.
2. I’m getting some kind of burning sensation in my chest.
3. If I keep my eyebrows furrowed like this I’m going to give myself a headache.
DO
1. Clean something
2. Take my dog for a walk
3. Look up the weather for next week
4. Drink a bottle of water
Now of course, these are my own personal lists, and I can not tell you what will work for you, but those definitely work for me. If I chug a bottle of water when I’m feeling anxious about a situation, usually my stomach becomes immediately full from that and I don’t even think about food anymore. This is usually followed up by cleaning something that will get my hands dirty and distract me from feeling like this. If that doesn’t work I get out of the food encompassing situation I’m in! There’s not much to eat if you are outside taking your dog for a walk. The point of this is that food is something you should use to fuel your body. That’s it. Just for fuel. On occasion, you should be able to enjoy some comfort food, a delicacy, or pastry that you haven’t had in a while. But eating because your anxious is a habit that you should really work on breaking today. I am in no way a licensed professional in anything (yet!) but I can tell you from my personal experience that eating because your anxious will lead to un-wanted weight gain and potentially worsen your health.
As for the other statement in this picture, get outside, get on the ground and do some push ups, open the curtains and let the light in. If you just take that one step in the right direction, and don’t give up on it I promise that it will make such a huge difference. Eating well and exercising go hand in hand. People have been preaching this for decades, but only when you accept it as a reality in your life will it become true to you.
When I first moved to South Florida, I had no friends. None. I didn’t even have the dog yet! So I was a little depressed. I was used to having friends around, some family and someone to talk to and my husband was working 5 days a week before I started my fall semester or a job so I had a LOT of personal time to myself. At first, I watched a LOT of TV. But then I realized how stupid I was being! I moved to South Florida, where it’s always hot (even in their “so called” winter), and there were SO many outdoor activities for me to participate in. At first, I just went for a jog everyday and did some yoga on the dock in the back of my apartment complex. But eventually, that wasn’t enough for me. So I joined a Co-ed softball team, and it was actually relatively competitive. It was fun, but only once a week, and that still wasn’t enough for me. Then, my sister-in-law showed me a groupon for a crossfit style gym membership, at a place called Hard Exercise Works. It was pretty close to my apartment and relatively priced. So I checked it out, and started going. It was addicting! I was doing things I never thought I would do. Lifting weights, using a barbell, sprinting, doing assisted pull-ups and using a jump rope for the first time in years! I loved it, and couldn’t believe how amazing it made me feel! Not only the fact that working out was so good for me but the fact that there was this big group of people motivating each other, and congratulating each other every day. Eventually Chad joined with me, and I am so happy he did because we’ve made some incredible progress in our fitness journey. I now work out there 5-6 days a week and guess what? I made some friends! At the gym! And everyone I’ve met is on their own personal fitness journey and I can honestly say that nothing is more inspirational that hearing everyone talk about their own.
Don’t let depression get ahold of you. I don’t down medicine, but if you think that you can pull yourself out without the assistance of a chemical, then try your hardest! It worked for me, and I hope that it works for those of you who need it, too.
what even is life 