It feels almost impossible to stop your mind from overthinking - especially when we are caught in worry about bad stuff. It’s exhausting! When you are worried, your mind jumps from one thought to the next - spending tons of energy but getting nowhere. And The worst part is that it is all consuming. You can’t focus on anything else, you feel sick to your stomach, you might spend hours researching your concerns on the internet, or you might even jump to conclusions and react to situations that can end up damaging relationships. But mindfulness can help! Here are three simple steps you can take to ease your worry and better manage your anxiety.

When I’m feeling anxious, stressed, angry or anything unpleasant, I typically want those feelings to just disappear. I mean, who wants to actually sit in feelings that make us uncomfortable? I might binge a show on Netflix, dive into work, eat a pint of ice cream, or make other “bad” choices to avoid feeling my feelings. And while these types of activities can be helpful in the moment, I also know that avoiding my feelings will make them more intense and have a negative impact on my health over time. Thankfully we can practice mindfulness activities to face our emotions in a healthy way instead of just ignoring them. Here are 10 mindfulness activities you can do in a short amount of time to reduce your anxiety and feel more calm.

When someone is feeling anxious, the first thing most people say is, “take a deep breath.” Instinctively, we know taking a deep breath will help us pause, relax, and reset in order to continue on with our day. What’s interesting is that sometimes when people say this to me, I actually get frustrated! I don’t want to breathe! I’m in panic mode over here! But then I learned why the breath is so important and how to breathe in a way that almost instantly reduces my anxiety. And now it’s my number one go-to tool when I’m feeling anxious. And I want the same for you! Today I’m sharing exactly why taking a deep breath works and how to do it properly so that you can slow down your nervous system and reduce your anxiety.

The word “overwhelmed” seems to be how most people explain how they are feeling these days.  There seems to be too much to do and not enough time.  Tough projects seem impossible and even knowing where to start is a challenge when there is so much on your plate.  It’s all just too much. I completely get it.  But what if I told you there are ways you can rethink overwhelm in order to reduce your stress?  Today I’m sharing how reframing the issue can create the space you need to stop feeling overwhelmed and start being productive.  

For me, when I’m feeling my most anxious, I tend to reach out for help. Even if it’s just a quick text to my bestie saying, “Wow, my anxiety is high today” can be helpful. But sometimes, it’s hard for me to share exactly how I’m feeling and I find myself in situations with people that aren’t necessarily helpful. My favorite non-helpful response is, “Oh, just don’t worry about that.” Sure - if it was that easy, I would already be doing that.

If you have loved ones that never know what to say or do when you are feeling anxious, then be sure to send this blog to them! And if you are someone that wants to be more helpful, but doesn’t know how, then definitely read on because today I’m sharing five ways you can be more effective at supporting someone with anxiety so that you can help them live a more confident and happier life.

In September 2021, I shared 40 Supportive Quotes that you could use as reminders and to feel supported to better manage your anxiety. Since then it feels like our lives and our world have become even more hectic, chaotic and downright hard to understand. I don’t know about you, but this environment makes my anxiety go through the roof!

But one thing still really helps - reading motivation quotes. There is something very calming about these little reminders that “this too shall pass” and that I am not alone. When I connect with these quotes, I feel a perspective shift that creates a sense of ease and freedom from my overthinking mind.

It seems like everywhere I go, someone is talking about how stressed or anxious they are right now. And to me, sometimes I feel completely powerless over the stress and anxiety in my life. I don’t think I can manage it and even if I could, I sometimes don’t have a clue where to start. Thankfully, self-observation without judgment can help. When you are aware that you are having anxious thoughts, you take their power away. Which then creates a space for you to take a step back from the situation and choose to react in a way that helps you feel better. And even if you feel just a small amount of relief, you’ll begin to realize you can better manage your anxiety and learn what techniques work best for you! So today I’m sharing how to develop this self-awareness without judgment so you can build the confidence and resourcefulness you need to better manage your anxiety.

A few months ago I shared how my personal struggle with anxiety began, how it impacts me on a regular basis and that learning how to manage it is truly a daily practice. Since that blog, I have had some significant twists and turns with my mental health that were both incredibly difficult to move through and enlightening at the same time.  At first I did not want to tell anyone what had happened.  The situation was too raw and emotional. How am I supposed to help people if I can’t even help myself? But now, after time has passed and some healing has occurred, I think it’s important for me to share - especially in honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month - to remind you that you aren’t alone when you feel paralyzed by your own anxiety.  And, it’s not always easy to manage your anxiety, even when you know what to do.  

You probably know exactly how it feels to be stuck in a thought loop for hours at a time, worrying about the past or thinking about the future, and not actually finding relief or resolve. It’s exhausting!  Thankfully there’s a way we can slow down our overthinking mind and reduce our anxiety - by moving!  Today I’m sharing 10 yoga poses you can do right now to bring your awareness to the present moment, slow down your nervous system and reduce your anxiety.  

And the best part?  No prior yoga experience is required!  If you can breathe, you can do these poses! 

If you know me, you probably know I say, “I don’t like outside” a lot.

Although there is some truth to that statement, it’s not entirely correct.  I do like outside, particularly when I am feeling overwhelmed, stressed and anxious.  If you’ve experienced this too, you might be wondering why.  Thankfully the science of Ayurveda has helped me understand how nature directly impacts our overall well-being. And today I’m sharing this powerful information with you!  Learn why it’s important to spend time in nature, especially when you are feeling overwhelmed and anxious, and simple outdoor techniques you can do to reduce your anxiety and feel more grounded within minutes.  

When I was younger, I tended to view life with a “glass half empty” attitude.  Toss anxiety on top of that viewpoint and you can imagine my inner critic had a few things to say about that!  It’s a tough way to live. It feels like you are constantly swimming upstream as the world continues to prove that your inner critic is correct.  But what if I told you that you could change all that with one very simple task that you can start doing right away?  You can!  With a gratitude journal. Today I’m sharing exactly why gratitude can help shift your perspective and how to keep a gratitude journal so that you can reduce your anxiety and increase your overall happiness.  

When you struggle with anxiety, it’s like sitting in a rocking chair. You are using all your energy to rock forward and back, but you are going nowhere. Or, it’s like a low-grade fever … subtle and in the background, while you still function in your everyday tasks, but you know it’s there. And then every once and a while your anxiety becomes extremely debilitating. You notice nervousness, a racing heart beat, muscle tension, sweating, trembling and an overactive mind that sneaks into your experience as anxiety completely takes over. Trust me - I completely get it because I’ve experienced all this too. And even though I still have anxious moments, I’ve learned how to remain more calm and relaxed, and I want the same for you. Today I’m sharing three ways you can better manage and experience relief from your anxiety with a technique called One-Pointedness.

Us humans LOVE a good story. I believe they are one of the most powerful tools we have to grow, connect and drive change.  We bond through storytelling.  Stories build empathy, create deeper connections, build trust and can persuade you to take action.  They tie emotions together with the meaning and intention of a situation and create opportunities for interaction.  And, they bring context to a subject.  Which can sometimes be an issue if we aren’t fully aware of the intention and power of our story.  Especially with the stories we tell ourselves - because what we believe will actually turn into our reality and eventually become our destiny.  In this blog I’m breaking down how to become more aware of the stories you tell yourself (especially the ones that cause you anxiety) so that you can begin to break the cycle of your overthinking mind, reduce your anxiety and feel more freedom in your life. 

Some stress is good.  Even some anxiety is good.  But too much of either is bad, which is the case with most everything in life, right?  So how are you supposed to know if it’s time to get help for your anxiety, or if it’s just the “healthy kind” that’s keeping you moving forward in life?  I get this question a lot, and honestly the answer is not black and white.  Everyone’s “Ah-ha moment” will be at a different time in their journey.  So how are you supposed to know?  Don’t worry - I got you!  Today, I’m sharing the difference between healthy and unhealthy anxiety, along with certain signs that it might be time for you to get help so that you can start to live a more grounded and happier life.   

About a week ago my anxiety was so high that I found myself crying, standing in a deep squat in my kitchen, trying every trick I know to stop the voices in my head. My inner critic was ruthless and I couldn’t figure out a way to get out of her grip. I don’t know about you, but some days my anxiety feels very manageable and other days it feels like a hell that I would never wish on even my biggest enemy. Today I’m sharing my own story in hopes that you feel encouraged and supported to either start or continue to take action toward better managing your own anxiety. Although I still struggle, I hope you learn from my experiences that you too can learn to live a happier and more balanced life, even when your anxiety is hard to manage.

There are days when my anxiety is so high that I don’t even feel like trying to manage it.  It feels like too much. I’d rather be stuck experiencing unpleasant anxious feelings than spend a ton of energy trying to reduce it. I’ve been thinking a lot about these moments and why I don’t take action to better manage my anxiety.  If you want to figure this out for yourself as well, then this blog is for you. I’m diving into the reasons why we sometimes don’t pursue feeling better to help encourage you to get out of your own way and take the actions you need to reduce your anxiety and feel more peace and ease throughout your day. 

I have noticed in the last couple of weeks, as the weather has turned colder and my anxiety has gone up, that my digestive system has been a little out of whack. At first I thought it was just a period of “bad eating” around Thanksgiving that was causing this out of balance, but then I realized that it’s probably my general diet that is not in line with the season! If you also struggle with anxiety and are feeling “off” as we approach the holidays, then this blog is for you. Today I’m going to share the importance of applying ayurvedic principles to your diet to help reduce your anxiety and ease your digestive system

Usually the first thing people tell you when you feel overwhelmed, anxious or panicked is to “take a deep breath”. More often than not, you do end up feeling calmer when you take a moment to focus on your breath. But why? In yoga, the practices of breathing are called Pranayama. In today’s crazy, chaotic world, my pranayama practice helps keep me grounded, even if I can only practice for 5 minutes a day. That’s the power of it! It’s amazing how just a little bit of breath work can impact my energy and change my mood almost instantly. Today I’m sharing the foundations of a pranayama practice so you can start using the breath to reduce your anxiety, especially in the moment, so you can feel more grounded and calm.

As the heat and humidity of summer comes to an end, the days become darker and the air becomes more crisp and cold as the season shifts into fall and then ultimately into winter. Warm sweaters, boots, scarfs and hats make their return from the back of our closets as we crave warm comforting foods and desserts. (YES!)  Winter can also be a wonderful time for self-reflection as we prepare for the new beginnings of spring.  The only problem is that this time of year also means excess cold, feeling overwhelmed and dealing with restless, anxious emotions.  And if you already struggle with anxiety, winter can be an extremely difficult time of year for you.  Thankfully, like with the other seasons, there is something you can do to feel more calm and grounded during the dark days of winter. Here’s how to better manage your health and anxiety during the fall and winter seasons with clarity and ease by applying ayurvedic principles to your daily life. 

Why is letting go so hard? When it comes to human interactions, I am constantly trying to control every situation, conversation and outcome.  Which just creates more suffering in my life.  Can you relate?  Maybe not specifically to controlling relationships, but possibly something else where you can’t seem to let go?  Today I’m sharing how you can start to let go of attachments so that you can reduce your anxiety and feel a bit more ease and freedom in your life.