Nurturing the Whole Self, Part I: Body-Based Self-Care for Anxiety
Y’all, I’m all in for treating myself to a massage or taking an hour for a bubble bath. But by now we all know that’s not what your therapist is talking about when she tells you to make time for self-care. Yes, mud masks are great, but they’re not going to make much of a difference when your anxious thoughts are really out of control.
During those anxious times, though, self-care truly is important. Even if you’re already in therapy for anxiety with a therapist you trust, that’s probably just an hour out of your week. The remaining 167 hours (yes I did the math) aren’t just going to magically take care of themselves. Not only that but having established and effective self-care practices to manage anxiety will enhance your progress in therapy, allowing you to quickly focus on the most important factors that are bringing you to the couch (ahem, the Zoom).
Instead of confusing a shopping spree or boozy wine night with real self-care, here’s what I actually recommend: strategically prioritizing true self-care with a nuanced plan that encompasses the body, the mind, and the soul.
Back to Basics: Caring for Your Physical Wellbeing When Struggling With Anxiety
For today’s blog post, I want to start with the body. In my years of work with high-achieving women, I’ve found that so many of us live primarily in our heads. We’re thinking, we’re planning, we’re strategizing. We’re worrying. We’re making mental lists about everything from our taxes to our households to our businesses.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes all of that cerebral work almost makes me forget I’m not just a floating brain — I have a body. A body that should be just as cared for as that fab, sexy brain. A body that’s probably squished into a weird position to write this blog post. A body that probably needs some attention, most of the time.
It’s Important To Tackle Physical Anxiety Symptoms Head On
Taking care of the body is even more important when the issue we’re fighting is anxiety. While anxious thoughts are clearly a part of this equation, it’s vital to tackle the physical anxiety symptoms head-on. These can include anything from tense muscles, increased heart rate, quick/shallow breathing, feelings of nausea or GI issues (did you know there’s more serotonin in the gut than the brain?!), feeling light-headed or restless, sweating or hot flashes, headaches… anxiety truly lives in the body, and if we don’t address it physically, we’re losing out on a lot of potential benefits.
Self-Care Basics For Anxiety
For my patients with anxiety I recommend starting with the basics for physical self-care — are you getting enough sleep? Are you getting enough calories? Are you moving your body in ways that feel good? Once all of these are taken care of on a daily basis, I recommend:
Exploring breath work (and maybe adding aromatherapy to this if you’d like)
Making sure you’re well-hydrated
Avoiding/reducing alcohol, recreational drugs, and caffeine
Upping exercise to 30 minutes/day of anything that gets your heart rate up
I know it sounds small. But to be honest, I don’t think self-care practices benefit from being unwieldy, too time-consuming, or super complex. What you need is care and consistency — really ask yourself if every single one of those factors is getting your attention on a daily basis before you decide your body-based self-care isn’t enough. Chances are, there are small but powerful tweaks you can make your body an ally in the fight against anxiety rather than the battleground it sometimes feels like.
Here’s one more weird tip: In a pinch / a moment of heightened anxiety (before an uncomfortable discussion, maybe), as truly bizarre as it sounds, I recommend taking a tip from our furry friends and doing whatever your dog does when she’s feeling a little freaked outstretch your body, wiggle it out, release some tension, take a walk. I’m serious, dogs are masters of releasing that anxious energy. (If you want to learn about boundary-setting just imitate a cat, but that’s a topic for a different blog post.)
We’re just animals, after all, and our bodies will benefit from remembering that! Next time your anxiety is totally overwhelming, care for your lovely body in a nurturing way or with the help of therapy for anxiety with Rebecca AE Smith. And stay tuned — posts on self-care for the mind and the soul are on the way!
Begin Overcoming Your Anxiety Symptoms With The Help of Therapy for Anxiety in New Orleans, LA!
Are you a high-achieving millennial woman feeling overwhelmed by anxiety and neglecting your physical well-being? It's time to prioritize your self-care journey. Take the first step towards holistic healing by seeking therapy for anxiety tailored to address both your mental health and physical symptoms. Invest in yourself and reclaim your vitality and peace of mind. Follow these three simple steps to get started:
Begin meeting with skilled anxiety therapist, Rebecca AE Smith, Ph.D.
Start overcoming your anxiety symptoms and prioritize your self-care!
Other Services Offered With Rebecca AE Smith, Ph.D.
Are you a millennial struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, life transitions, and more? With Rebecca AE Smith, Ph.D., I can help you work through your struggles or challenges to begin managing and coping with your symptoms in healthy ways. So in addition to helping you with your symptoms in Therapy for Anxiety, I also provide Therapy for Women for those who struggle with burnout, stress, work-life balance, navigating relationships, and more! As well as Therapy for Perfectionism for those struggling to overcome their symptoms and stress of feeling perfect all the time. At my practice, I provide online services for those in Louisiana and Virginia. For more about me check out my About Me page and Blog!