We are in the middle of a global pandemic and a common theme among st my clients, friends and family is anxiety. And rightfully so! This is a tough time for everyone. We all cope with it in different ways, but there are some practices that we can do to help alleviate it and even potentially prevent it from happening. Many of these practices are also immune boosting which is a nice bonus in times like these! While this list isn’t exhaustive, I hope this resonates with you and you can take at least a few things away in these challenging times.

Meditate daily. Even if it is for just 5 minutes. Meditation is a habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. You can use it to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Having a regular practice can significantly control anxiety. If you want some structure or accountability to start a practice, try one of the many medication apps out there now. I like: Headspace, Calm and Insight Timer.

Practice breathing exercises. Your breath is one of the most effective, all natural anxiety management tools and it is free! Deliberate, mindful breathing in a slow and steady pattern can reduce the heart rate and activate your parasympathetic nervous system bringing a sense of calm to the mind and body.

My favorite breathing technique is called Box Breathing. Here is how it works: On the inhale, expand the belly, then the diaphragm, then the upper chest for a count of 5. Hold for 5 counts and then on the exhale, let the breath go first from the upper chest, then the ribcage, then the belly all within a count of 5. Hold for 5 counts before you inhale again. This is a great way to retrain your body to breathe deeply and eliminate an acute stress response.

Detox from unnecessary screen time and social media. While technology at our fingertips at all hours of the day has its benefits, it is definitely harmful to our mental health. Our brains were not wired to process the constant access to social media, news feeds and the constant stream of content. Checking social media or our inboxes activates the pleasure receptors in our brains (like the happy neurotransmitter dopamine), but that rush doesn’t last long. We are left feeling sad, empty and anxious. Consider a regular social media detox. Weekends can be great for this or try going for an extended period for even better results.

Connect in real life. This seems odd coming right after I tell you do do a social media and screen time detox, but even if you can’t physically touch others, you can still be in touch with them, see them in person or over a phone call or video chat. Genuine friendships and relationships with your family or people in your community are key to feeling grounded, connected and fulfilled. Don’t be afraid to talk to the people closest to you about how you are feeling. Sharing thoughts, stories, giving and receiving advice and encouragement can reduce anxiety and be so rewarding long after you finish the visit. You may find comfort in knowing that many people are going through similar experiences, feelings and thought processes.

Start a gratitude practice. Gratitude may be one of the most overlooked tools that we all have access to. It doesn’t cost money, it takes little time and it can have tremendous benefits. Not only is gratitude a super powerful and positive emotion, it is easy to manifest. Try writing down 3 things you are grateful for at the end of each day. Doing this can help turnaround negative thinking and reduce anxious feelings. It is also a great to drift off into restful sleep. There is a lot of conclusive research about the mental and physical health benefits of a gratitude practice including positive changes to mental, physical and psychological heath.

Spend time in nature. Spending intentional time in nature restores balance and a sense of grounding and calm to the body. It wakes up the senses and gets those neurotransmitters working to help support anxiety. Even if you don’t have access to regional or state parks or trails, you can visit local parks, try gardening or a meet up that spends time outside. Speaking of getting outside….

Move your body every day. Movement delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your heart and lungs work more efficiently providing you with more energy to go about your day. It also stimulates the neurotransmitters in our brain to help us feel happier and more relaxed. It can help to boost confidence and reduce stress and anxiety. Even if you can’t get to the gym every day, our bodies are meant to move. Even 20 to 30 minutes of walking can provide you with the physical and mental benefits. If you don’t love it and it isn’t easy to fit into your life, you likely won’t stick with it so find a way to move every day that not only works in your schedule and lifestyle, but that you enjoy doing.

Eat to nourish and support your gut. Gut health and anxiety are closely related through the gut-brain axis. Science on this topic is relatively new, but we do know that many of the bacteria in your gut make chemical messengers called neurotransmitters that regulate feelings of fear, anxiety, and stress. These neurotransmitters include serotonin, dopamine and GABA, all of which play a key role in anxiety and mood. It is estimated that 90% of these neurotransmitters are produced in our digestive tract. When your microbiome is out of balance, the production of these neurotransmitters may be affected, resulting in a tendency towards anxiety. While stool testing (I offer this!) is the gold standard in really determining what might be going on in the gut (i.e. dysbiosis/imbalanced flora, pathogens, viruses, and parasites), there are some ways you can better support your microbiome (and brain) without necessarily going that route.

Here are some great ways to nourish and support your gut:

Consume fermented foods and/or supplement with a probiotic. Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi are all probiotic-rich foods which have been shown to significantly lower levels of stress and anxiety. Aim to eat or drink something fermented 2–3 times per day as a condiment. Try my easy sauerkraut recipe to get started. If these foods just don’t sound appealing to you or you would like some additional probiotic support, a high quality probiotic supplement can be great too.
Consume plenty of fiber. Properly prepared grains, nuts, seeds fruits and vegetables all contain prebiotic fibers which feed the good bacteria that live in your gut. Not only will they support the good gut bugs allowing your body to make healthy amounts of neurotransmitters, they are also known to be supportive of your body’s stress response.
Consume polyphenol-rich foods like in-season berries, stone fruits, apples, beans, nuts, cocoa, green tea, extra virgin olive oil and coffee all contain polyphenols, which are plant chemicals that are digested by your gut bacteria. Polyphenols can help to increase the healthy gut bacteria which are supportive of neurotransmitters.
Consume Typtophan and Vitamin D rich foods which can support serotonin production. These foods include fatty fish like salmon and sardines, along with eggs, turkey, spinach, nuts and seeds, and fruits like pineapple.
Nourish the gut with bone broth and/or gelatin and collagen peptides. Bone broth is incredibly nourishing to the gut. The gelatin it contains can help to repair intestinal lining and reduce inflammation in the digestive tract improving the gut lining. When you can’t make it yourself and don’t have access to it, gelatin and collagen peptide products can be a nice substitute.

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I never noticed if I felt differently throughout the seasons until we moved to Portland, OR. It was our second or third winter here when I began to recognize some patterns. My mental and physical health seemed to decline starting in mid to late November and lasted until at least the beginning of March. I would feel tired ALL THE TIME. I diagnosed myself with chronic fatigue. It was challenging to get out of bed and I wanted to nap all day. I craved carbohydrates and am guessing my body wanted the sugar to give me a boost of energy. I am usually an outgoing and extroverted person and I love social time with family and friends, but this time of year I would just want to hibernate. Staying in seemed so much easier and I didn’t have the energy to leave the house anyway, especially in the evenings.

It was only this year that I discovered with the help of my doctor that I likely have a mild to moderate case of SAD or seasonal affective disorder. It is very common and affects more people than you might think. You may even have the symptoms too and not even know that what you are feeling has a name. SAD is a type of depression that comes about with changes in the seasons. It generally begins in the fall and can last through the winter months. There are many symptoms and they can include: feeling depressed, wanting to hibernate, low energy, problems sleeping, changes in appetite and weight, carbohydrate cravings, feeling sluggish, increased anxiety. If you suspect you have it, I encourage you to work with your mental health practitioner or doctor.

That being said, I wanted to share some of the tips and tricks that have helped me to feel better during the time when SAD is the worst for me. I often start these practices in the early fall to try to get ahead of the symptoms that I start to feel as the days get shorter and the weather not as nice.

I allow myself to sleep in or at least wake up later. This often means I forgo my usual morning workout until later today, allowing myself for a slower morning and less risk of not getting up when I absolutely need to. In the winter months, the sun is not coming up until well after I get up during the week so the closer I can get up to sunrise, the better.
I get outside on a walk as soon as possible upon waking. I am for a walk within 30-60 minutes of getting out of bed. My goal is to get the daylight (even on the days when there is no sun, which is often in the Pacific Northwest!) into my eyeballs. This is fairly easy for me since I am usually out to walk my dog or walk my daughter to school, but even on the days when my day is not so structured, I try to make this happen. This makes a huge difference in how I feel.
I aim to eat foods that are rich in Vitamin D and high in tryptophan which can support serotonin production (the neurotransmitter our bodies tend to be deficient in during this time of year). I eat lots of fatty fish like salmon and sardines along with eggs, spinach, nuts and seeds, and fruits like pineapple.
I also make sure to eat fermented foods and take probiotics, consume plenty of bone broth and/or collagen and fiber to nourish my gut. It is estimated that 90% of the body’s serotonin is made in the digestive track.
I try for moderate to vigorous exercise 3-4 days a week (HIIT, strength training, jogging), plus movement like walking every day and some yoga mixed in. Most of the year I do this in the morning, but I move my exercise to later in the day during the winter months because I find that my energy levels are better and I am more motivated.
I get outside every single day. I take my morning walk and try to get another activity in mid-day too, especially if the sun is out!
I practice hydrotherapy. It is tough to start this habit but I worked up to finishing my shower on the cold setting for about three minutes. There is some decent evidence that cold hydrotherapy can benefit people with both anxiety and depression and anecdotally I find that it energizes me and makes me feel good!
I supplement with Vitamin C, a B complex vitamin (for Folate, B6 and B12) along with zinc and magnesium. These vitamins are co-factors for neurotransmitter production. If we work together I can help you determine what supplements might work best for you.
I budget funds for a winter vacation or two (even something short!) somewhere warm and sunny like Southern California, Mexico or Hawaii. I know this isn’t accessible for everyone, but even driving to the mountains to be in the snow (if you live somewhere rainy like the PNW) or heading to the desert where at least you will see some sun can be helpful as well.
I give myself grace this time of year. Since I naturally want to slow down, I allow it to happen. I rest more, take more time for self-care and don’t beat myself up when I can’t seem to do it all. I remind myself that I can resume my regularly scheduled life when I feel up to it.

I hope you find these tips helpful. Let me know if you try them out and how they work for you!

Sources and additional resources:

Strategies to Manage Anxiety Now

My Top 10 Strategies for Seasonal Affective Disorder

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