If you have been feeling very overwhelmed with your life and responsibilities, it can take a toll on your mental health and wellbeing. This feeling often gets worse, even leading to more anxiety and worsening depression symptoms. Before you let the overwhelm take control of your life, try some of these tips for relaxing and reducing stress.
1. Start a Worry Journal
When you are overwhelmed, you probably have a mind that is FULL of thoughts, worries, concerns, fears, regrets, hopes, and so much more. You need to get all of these thoughts and emotions out of your head, and there is no better way to do that than writing it out.
Start a journal specifically used for your stress and overwhelm, called a worry journal. This is really easy to do and can be used as a place to vent about every single thing you are worried about. Think about what is causing you the most stress right now, and write it down.
Be honest, be detailed or vague, write it however you want. Don’t worry about how long it is, how long it takes you, grammar or spelling, or any other rules of writing. Just get your worries out in whatever way works best for you, and soon you will realize not just that you had a lot to say, but have more clarity about why you have been so stressed and overwhelmed recently.
2. Complete Something You Never Finished
Another way to relieve overwhelm in your life is to think about something you have not completed, but started, and finish it. This can be anything big or small, whether it is related to your current goals or not.
Why is this helpful? Because you get a feeling of accomplishment when you complete something. Even a small thing you have been putting off, a little home project you started but didn’t complete, or a big goal, can all bring you that feeling that you did something. You worked hard and completed it. You did what was expected of you.
This can relieve a lot of the stress and overwhelm you are currently experiencing.
3. Wander and Visualize What You Want
Visualization is very powerful, almost magical. When you can see something you want to be, accomplish, or get done, it gives you inspiration and motivation. IT allows you to work hard toward your goals, and actually visualize what the process is like.
But it doesn’t have to be only practical. Sometimes what you need the most is to dream. Allow your imagination to be creative and open-minded, dream up something you would love to have in your life, whether it is realistic or not.
Just take a few minutes a day to really visualize this dream, and go as far with it as you need to. When you’re done, you will feel more calm and relaxed, and ready to take on the day.
4. Develop Healthy Sleep Routines
Everyone needs sleep, even you! This should be your top priority, whether you have stress and overwhelm or not. Sleep is essential for your mind, body, and spirit. You need rest each night to hold on to your memories, to gain focus and energy, to be able to get through each day.
If you don’t get enough quality sleep, start looking at your daily sleep routine. Maybe you need to start getting ready for bed earlier, or you have a problem with using your cell phone before bed. Switch up your routine so that you are fully rested and ready for uninterrupted sleep.
5. Find Your Own Priorities
Choosing what is a priority in your life is a crucial part of relaxing when you feel stressed and overwhelmed. This is true in your personal and professional life. A big part of self-care and relieving that feeling of overwhelm is knowing when to put yourself first.
If a project you started or a goal you thought you wanted to achieve doesn’t bring you joy and you don’t remember why you wanted to do it in the first place, let it go. This is obviously not a priority in your life, so there is no reason it should be causing you stress.
6. Start a Morning Routine
Morning routines help set you up for success. They provide you a way to be energized and positive right from the moment you wake up, keep you from developing a negative attitude when the alarm goes off, and give you a time of the day for a little self-care.
Start a new morning routine that is good for both your body and your mind, with things like doing yoga, drinking a glass of water, writing in your journal or planner, meditating or practicing mindfulness. There are no rules for a morning routine as long as it is good for you and helps you feel invigorated and ready to take on the day
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I really wanted to talk about this topic today because I wanted to share some lifestyle-based strategies to improve your overall mindset and mental health, which in turn improves your life. You must do the internal work to improve your overall health. You can do this by learning what motivates you and working each day on improving your mindset. Your thoughts control your feelings, which controls your behavior. You can cultivate certain behaviors and practices that will not only enrich your life, but that you can pass on to your family, friends, and community, so that you can leave a legacy of health to your loved ones.
If you are familiar with my approach, I use functional medicine and lifestyle medicine as the first line of treatment, before medications, to treat lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Lifestyle-related chronic diseases include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, some cancers, just to name a few. Lifestyle modifications, such as stress reduction and mindfulness exercises, can help you feel better about yourself and your life. In certain cases, these approaches may even outperform pharmaceutical therapy. But I always tell my patients that conventional medications may be appropriate at this time to prevent catastrophic illness, but over time, you can work to make the necessary lifestyle changes to possibly reduce and/or eliminate medications. Please remember to always consult your physician for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any decisions whatsoever.
Is Dietary Supplementation Right For You?
Did you know that what you eat can have a significant impact on your mood and mindset? A poor diet can lead to decreased energy levels, low moods, and even depression. Conversely, a healthy diet can improve your mood, help you feel more energetic, and boost your overall sense of well-being.
For some people, vitamin and mineral supplements offer important health benefits. Supplements are designed to fight deficiencies found in our diet and complement the food we eat regularly. Supplements are basically “helping hands” to our daily food.
When stress, anxiety, and depression creep in, it can be difficult to stay motivated and keep your head in the game. Fortunately, dietary supplementation can help. Certain vitamins, minerals, herbs and other natural ingredients have been shown to improve moods and reduce stress levels. For example, B vitamins (such as B6 and B12) are essential for maintaining healthy brain function and producing energy. Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in fish oil supplements, are known to reduce stress hormones and promote relaxation. Magnesium is also important for mental health – it helps regulate stress hormones, reduce anxiety levels and improve quality of sleep.
In addition to these supplements, there are also a number of herbal remedies that can help with stress management. Herbs such as lavender, chamomile and passionflower can be helpful for calming the body and reducing stress levels. Valerian root is another popular stress-relieving herb – it helps to relax the mind and promote restful sleep.
Ultimately, dietary supplementation can play an important role in improving your mindset and mood. If you’re feeling stressed or down, consider adding some of these supplements to your daily routine! They may just be the key to unlocking your mental wellbeing.
So… if you are unable to eat better and need supplementation, the supplements in my Mindset and Mood Support Bundle may provide the extra boost you need.
These are my favorite Mood Support Supplements to use! This Mindset and Mood Support Bundle will ensure you have the intake of the important vitamins, minerals, and probiotics to decrease inflammation and boost your innate wellness day and night. Taken together, it’s a solid plan for increasing your body’s natural resiliency while you improve your sleep, decrease your stress, and improve your mental clarity, naturally.
Tools For Motivation And Mindset
Meditating
Although you don’t need a cushion to meditate, you may want to consider using one at some point. You could meditate in a chair, or simply sit on the floor if you want. You can also use pillows or cushions from your furnishings to try out. Cushion, chair, bench, floor – it’s all good. Eventually, though, if you’re not sitting upright on a chair, you’ll probably do well to buy a dedicated meditation cushion. The cushion will support your sitting posture and help you create an appealing mindfulness corner that will encourage you to practice every day. I recommend this meditation cushion and mat bundle.
Journaling
If you struggle with stress, depression, or anxiety, keeping a journal can be a great idea. Even if you don’t have these conditions, journaling can enhance your life in many ways. Having difficulty processing your thoughts and emotions? Journaling can help clear that mental clutter and move towards a positive mindset. Research suggests that keeping a journal can have positive impacts on both mental and physical health. So, to start you on your journey, I recommend this self care journal.
Yoga
Yoga can be a great way to improve your strength and flexibility, manage your stress, improve your heart health, and lose weight! I recommend using a grounded yoga mat to connect yourself with the earth and reduce inflammation.
Food!
Remember, living a healthy lifestyle including eating a whole foods plant-based diet, regular physical activity, meditation and mindfulness, as well as healthy and supportive relationships are the best ways to support mental health.
Please talk with your doctor about any complementary health approaches, including supplements, you use. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
Still Feeling A Little “Off”?
You may want to consider looking at your neurotransmitter levels. We’ve all heard of neurotransmitters—those chemical messengers that facilitate the transmission of signals from one neuron to the next across a synapse. But, what do they actually do?
Neurotransmitters influence and regulate a wide range of processes, from mental performance and emotions to pain response and energy levels. It’s no wonder why many people seek professional help when their neurotransmitter levels become imbalanced. Let’s take a closer look at how neurotransmitters work and what options are available for addressing imbalances.
What Is a Neurotransmitters Test?
The best way to determine if there’s an imbalance is through testing. The Vibrant Wellness Neurotransmitter Test is designed to measure levels of various hormones and chemicals in the brain and peripheral nervous system that play an important role in mood, memory, aging, balance, nervous function, movement, pain perception, eating behavior, sleep/wake cycles, stress biology, heart rate variability (HRV), etc. The Neurotransmitters panel measures levels of important hormones and chemicals in the brain and peripheral nervous system—including serotonin (mood), dopamine (motivation), epinephrine/norepinephrine (energy), GABA (relaxation) , glutamate (balance), acetylcholine (memory) , histamine (inflammation).
It’s also important to note that this test looks at both active levels as well as metabolites which helps identify underlying causes for imbalances such as poor absorption or metabolism. With this data in hand, you can start making changes that help restore balance.
Imbalances in these chemicals can lead to a variety of symptoms including irritability, anxiety or depression; cognitive issues such as forgetfulness; sleep disturbances; fatigue; digestive problems; low libido; weight gain or loss; etc. A Neurotransmitter test is used to detect underlying imbalances that may be causing these symptoms.
What Are the Benefits of a Neurotransmitter Test?
A neurotransmitter test can provide valuable insight into your overall health. It can identify any underlying hormonal or chemical imbalances that may be contributing to your symptoms. Once these imbalances have been identified, you can work with your healthcare provider to develop an individualized treatment plan that addresses the root cause of your symptoms. This could include lifestyle changes such as diet modifications or exercise regimens as well as supplements or medications designed to correct any deficiencies in neurotransmitter production.
What Can I Do if My Test Comes Back Positive?
If your test comes back positive for an imbalance in one or more neurotransmitters, there are several things you can do to get back on track. The first step is to identify any underlying lifestyle factors that could be contributing to the imbalance (such as sleep deprivation or poor nutrition). Once you’ve identified those factors, you can begin making changes – such as improving your diet or getting more exercise – to help restore balance. Additionally, certain supplements may also be recommended by your doctor or health care provider in order to promote optimal neurological functioning and support healthy neurotransmitter levels.
In A Nutshell…
Neurotransmitters are essential for a healthy mind and body – they influence mental performance and emotions while helping regulate key processes like pain response and energy levels. If you’re feeling off balance lately or experiencing unusual symptoms like insomnia or digestive issues it might be worth looking into whether there’s an underlying imbalance in your neurotransmitter levels causing your discomfort. A Neurotransmitters panel test will give you valuable insight into what’s going on within your body so you can take corrective action if needed! With the information gained from this test you’ll be able to better understand what’s going on within your body and make informed decisions about how best to bring yourself back into balance!
PLEASE NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing severe stress, anxiety, depression and/or other mental health issues, please contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889. This is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information.
Dr. Nicolle Martin
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Last updated on April 4th, 2023 at 11:14 am
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