I just got over covid. I was blessed to have had a very easy time with the virus relative to how others have felt.
While I was down and out I found it hard to adhere to routine. I was moving much slower, eating out of convenience, staying put on the couch, and absolutely glued to my phone. Everything came to a head about a week or so ago when my anxiety left me unable to get a good night of sleep for two nights in a row. I was feeling exhausted, sad, and defeated. I took a much needed break from blogging to focus on resetting my life and getting back to homeostasis.
I am going to share with you some of the ways that I pull myself out of a slump when I am feeling anxious or depressed. This will be multiple parts so keep an eye out for more!
The first thing I look at is what I have been consuming.
Consumption is not always food and drink, although I do look at that too.
What had I been watching and interacting with?
Let’s reflect.
Tv- Dahmer, The Watcher, The Patient, Love is Blind, Nathan for you.
Youtube- Political commentary, Deep dives into “problematic” behavior, ASMR, Pagan centric videos, Organization & Minimalism content.
Social Media- Endless scrolling through Facebook and Instagram.
Not all bad; Nathan for you, ASMR, minimalism and organization, and Pagan videos are all lighthearted and more or less constructive. Everything else, though, could be contributing to my anxiety. My first step to feeling better is to shift gears and only consume content that makes me feel good. Everything else can go.
Some new (to me) shows that are super lighthearted and wholesome are: Homegrown, The Circle, Love on the Spectrum, and honestly any movies you enjoyed as a kid would fit the bill. (Most recently we watched Prince of Egypt!)
The next part of consumption I would like to focus on is what I have been neglecting to consume.
I have a daily checklist. On that checklist is to take my vitamins. Guess what I had not been doing for a full week leading up to my anxiety resurfacing? While I do get a lot of vitamins from the foods I eat every day, there are some things that I find beneficial to supplement. I pulled my vitamins out of our hall closet and placed them in the kitchen so I can take them with dinner every night going forward! If you are curious, the two supplements I take specifically for anxiety are Ashwagandha and St. John’s Wort. Definitely consult your doctor before beginning any new supplements though!
The last bit of consumption is the obvious, what I have been physically consuming.
I do eat quite healthy, but leading up to my anxious feelings I hadn’t been. I am focusing on shifting back into eating whole plant foods for as many meals as I can to get my body back on track! A great way to keep myself on track is batch cooking. I like to make all of my snacks and work meals in advance for the coming week to avoid eating junky foods that end up making me feel awful. Some of my favorite snacks to make in advance are: Hummus, spinach artichoke dip, and popcorn.
Focusing on what we consume in all aspects is a great way to pinpoint what could be causing anxiety, and really helps to make necessary adjustments. These changes can be small, but trying to address the opportunities we find in our consumption are crucial in feeling better- so if you go small, make sure it’s a powerful change that you can and will stick to. We are forming new habits and there will be mistakes, just remember to check in with yourself every day and keep your goal at the forefront.
Thanks for reading this far! Keep your eye out for part 2 coming soon.
The Working Homemaker 