Hi, My name is Kim and I used to suffer from debilitating anxiety, panic attacks and episodes of DPDR. I used a lot of alternative therapies and lifestyle changes to heal myself naturally and now I share here all the things I did that worked for me.
Through my healing journey I learned that burnout and exhaustion was a major contributing factor in developing the anxiety and panic attacks that I went through.
I want to share with you my go to, favorite ways I like to take care of myself especially when I’m feeling like I’m on the road to burn out again.
Taking the time to listen to your body and engaging in practices that reduce burnout and stress as early on as you can, will save you from more major recovery later. I promise you won’t regret it.
Sleep
Prioritizing good sleep hygiene is so important. If you are sleep deprived and not well rested your body has a lower tolerance for stress and can increase the amount of stress hormones released by the body.
I always try to keep a good sleep schedule on a regular basis, but if I start to feel off the first thing I look at is my sleep and chances are good, I haven’t been getting enough sleep/rest.
Protein intake
Getting in enough protein is one of the best ways to keep your blood sugar stable.
Eating small more frequent meals, full of protein, fiber, heathy fats and carbs will keep you satiated.
When we are burnt out our bodies have a harder time regulating blood sugar. This ensures that we won’t have dips in blood sugar which can mimic the symptoms of anxiety and make stress worse.
Hydration
Staying hydrated. Drinking plenty of water daily is important for our bodies to function properly and when we give our body what it needs every day, we are more resilient to stress.
Adrenal Cocktails
When we are burnout so are our adrenal glands. The adrenals are 2 organs that sit on top of our kidneys and they manufacture , release and regulate stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
When the adrenals get burnt out, they can’t work properly and need a little extra support. Click here to learn more about adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal cocktails contain vitamins and minerals that are nourishing for the adrenals like:
- Vitamin C. It is an important antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress and is a cofactor in the production of hormones like cortisol. Vitamin C helps the body manage stress and replenishes the adrenal hormone reserve.
- Potassium. This is needed by the adrenals for proper hormone production and to support the adrenals in proper electrolyte balance in the body by regulating aldosterone release from the adrenal glands.
- Salt. Salt provides sodium which is a key electrolyte that works with potassium to create fluid balance in the body and no cell in the body can function without salt. When the adrenals are taxed the body needs more salt.
- Magnesium. Magnesium is needed in more than 600 enzymatic processes in the body. It nourished the adrenals glands, plays a role in the production and function of feel-good neurotransmitters and is majorly important for the health of the nervous system.
Click here to see my own recipe for adrenal cocktails that contain all of the above vitamins and minerals.
Somatic practices
In my opinion burnout and nervous system dysregulation go hand in hand. If you have one, you have the other. I learned in my own healing journey that there are a host of causes to anxiety, panic and DPDR but one universal truth: Anxiety, panic and DPDR mean the nervous system in dysregulated.
Somatic practices, when used regularly over a period of time work to begin to bring regulation into the nervous system, tone the Vagus nerve and condition the body and nervous system to have a healthier response to stress.
I started engaging in practices like yoga, breathwork and tapping (EFT) during my healing journey. They were practices that I utilized daily in the first 6-9 months and practices that I still use weekly today.
Check out this post on yoga for anxiety
I hope you found this post helpful. I wish you so much love on your own healing journey friend.
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