HA and Diet and other proactive steps, what do you do?

[lofwyr]

So, this week has been a week of ups and downs for me, both with regards to anxiety, and life in general.

Among this week's downs, were the results of my lipid panel from my annual physical. My total cholesterol is staggeringly high. 331.

But I buckled down, got a low dose statin to begin, and at the advice of my doctor, just became vegan. No animal based products, period. Last week, had you said I would be vegan by the end of the next week, I would have laughed in your face.

The truth is, one of the biggest parts of anxiety for me is not being able to do anything to fix a given problem. This extends to my life as a whole, not just health issues.

But having a plan, driving forward, and making that plan a reality, that not only serves to distract me from potential catastrophic thinking cycles, but also makes me healthier and more productive in general. Though admittedly, when at the bottom of a spiral, it can be difficult to maintain this.

So now I am newly vegan, and working hard on maintaining my exercise, starting a new med (finally had to buy a pill sorter, so I am officially old ;-) ) and embracing the things I can do. Also, remodeling the kitchen a bit, which is a nice distraction.

What do you do that is proactive to both alleviate your anxiety, and perhaps deal with the problems coming at you?

Do you have a hobby perhaps?

Do you practice a special diet, perhaps in anticipation of health issues, or because of them? Or maybe just health in general?

What steps do you take to stave off anxiety, or help control it when it comes?

[AntsyVee]

Here is my list of best practices:
--Daily exercise (ugh, I know). Walking especially helps me. Yoga is also a kick-ass method, if you can do it.
--Therapy, even if it's just talk therapy for awhile
--Journaling, especially keeping record of the things that trigger me.
--Gardening...very soothing
--Getting enough sleep. A tired Vee is a cranky Vee is an anxious Vee.
--Watching what I eat. Like you said, no junk food and watch the alcohol. Definitely no marijuana.

[Dying_Swan]

I don't have a strict regime, probably should! Not in an amazing place right now but thinking of times when I have been, and the steps I take even if I'm in a bad place which help it not to get worse.

Diet - I've been pescatarian for the past 5 years, not really for any reason other than I felt more comfortable with it than eating meat (fish is still meat, I know, but I eat less of it). I eat some dairy, but not a huge amount as some things don't agree with me. Most of what I eat is reasonably healthy, except the chocolate! At the moment I'm taking some supplements too for some physical health issues.

Exercise - I'm not great at this but I did regular exercise last year at a group and felt not only the physical benefits but also the mental ones. Even a short walk is better than nothing.

Sleep - also not good at this! But I do think it's an important one. I know I'm more anxious and emotional when sleep deprived.

Alcohol - mostly avoiding this at the moment due to depressive effect.

Socialising - really important for me. Even if I don't feel like it, I am trying to see people. I wouldn't feel up to eg a big night out, but making sure I'm not isolated.

Like AntsyVee, I've also been doing some journaling, which does help at times to get worries out and then put them down. Gardening also helps.

Congrats on becoming vegan! There are so many great vegan foods and products about now. I hope you'll find it helpful. My mum managed to bring down her cholesterol through diet and I am sure it will help :)

[Flapj]

Things I Do
Exercise (this is by far the most effective for me)
Breathing/Relaxation
Emergency Benzos (I ration these for really bad days - only need them once or twice a year thankfully)
Journal
Read message boards for support

Things I Would Like to Do Less
Drink alcohol. (I use this as medication way too often and too much)
Work (a huge stressor for me)
Eat (my diet is poor)


Things I have Considered But Not Tried
Therapy
SSRIs (not a fan of meds generally)

[wasdhu]

Veganism/Plant based diet - The most healthy I've ever felt in my life was when I went almost full vegan for 2 years, a year ago I went back to eating animal products and I noticed how terrible I felt after I consumed dairy especially. People will react differently to a vegan diet, but I've noticed the general consensus is that milk is completely useless, so I would definitely recommend giving milk up to anyone.

I've also seen studies where high cholesterol doesn't necessarily equate to bad health - in fact people with lower cholesterol seemed to have more health issues - so as long as you eat a good diet from now on I wouldn't worry too much about high it is.

Yoga - Somehow even just doing 20 minutes, gentle yoga helps me feel stronger and more energised, despite it not usually feeling like much of an exercise. But any exercise in general is good, I just like yoga the most because it's exercise and meditation rolled into one. Pilates is good too

Therapy - Usually my feelings are bottled up in my head from fear of sounding stupid to others. But once I let my thoughts out they tend to eventually disappear. If I'm anxious over certain symptoms, and I talk about them with a therapist (or doctor even) my thoughts aren't as compulsive and magically(!) my symptoms fade away alongside

Forest bathing - trees and plants release phytoncides which is good for many reasons for us to breathe in. Humans evolved outside, so we should take time to make the effort to be in nature

Sleep - if you're chronically sleep deprived then the body will eventually stop being as efficient in maintaining itself.

[katniss]

I love the “idea” of being vegan and managed to go vegetarian for 6 months but giving up dairy (specifically cheese and yogurt) was SO hard. I also went back to eating meat. How did you guys do it? I can’t give up fried chicken :(

[Fishmanpa]

I can’t give up fried chicken :(

Everyone has guilty pleasures and fried foods is definitely one of mine. We just limit them to occasional indulgences ;)

In general, anxiety or not, the standard common sense proactive steps like proper nutrition and exercise etc. are beneficial for anyone and everyone. The suggestions above are all very good ones.

Positive thoughts

[ErinKC]

The biggest proactive step I take is to see my therapist regularly, even when I'm feeling great.

Also, I recently started intermittent fasting. I did it initially to lose weight, and while it hasn't been super effective in that regard, I feel SO much better physically and mentally. I do the most basic version, which is to eat between the hours of 11am and 7pm and fast the rest of the time. So, really not too extreme, but it has stopped me from late night snacking, which was my biggest problem, and done wonders for my digestion.

For a YEAR I had been getting really bad stomach pains for a week or more at a time and the very first time I've gone pain free for more than a month was after I started doing this. Then just today I was talking to a friend of mine who also has anxiety and I realized that I've felt better recently than I have in a very long time. My anxiety has been pretty well under control for a while, but this is well beyond what my "normal" has been in years. I think it's really leveled me out considerable, kept my hormones and blood sugar more under control, helped me sleep better, and alleviated pain that was causing me some anxiety. And it's so simple. No counting calories, no cutting out specific foods, etc... it's the easiest possible diet change.