I had already been a therapist for a few years when my sister, Eve, decided to open a gym. Her vision was super specific: everyone was welcome to sign up, but she wanted to pay special attention to people with weight problems.
I did not need to ask Eve why. Growing up, she loved fast food, and junk foods too much became obese. Many kids in our neighborhood ended up teasing her because of it by copying a pig’s snort until my sister would cry.
Of course, I felt awful as I witnessed the bullying that Eve endured. Instead of coaxing her to get revenge, though, I encouraged her to go hiking with me on the weekends. Since my sister was massively out of shape, she used to get winded after 15 minutes. However, she genuinely wanted to lose weight, so she stuck with the hikes and never complained. Soon enough, she dropped from size 16 to size 12, which was incredible.
Going back to the original topic, I was only meant to be my sister’s personal cheerleader. Her gym had been gaining many potential clients, and I could not be happier for Eve. But then, she came to my clinic one day and asked if I could give counseling and therapy to her clients.
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“I worry that my efforts will end up futile if my clients do not have a proper mindset when it comes to weight loss,” my sister said.
I agreed to meet three or four people after my work hours, but it did not mean that I treated their cases differently from my clients. In truth, I noticed a few things that had been holding them back from losing weight.
Insecurity
The primary thing you need to let go of is insecurity. I have come across many people who claim to have tried almost every single workout tutorial on YouTube. But when you look at them or ask if they have met their weight goals yet, you will notice no significant change in their physique.
When I ask such people why they have not gone to the gym instead, the standard answer is that they fear getting laughed at because of their bodies. Although I cannot say that there are 100% friendly folks in gyms, everyone has the same goal: to be fit. Going to the gym at your heaviest may even earn you some high praises for wanting to improve yourself.
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Comparisons
People with weight issues tend to compare themselves with others all the time, whether they are aware of it or not. They can look at someone and think, “I wish I am as skinny as her!” or “Why can’t I look as good as that?”
I often discourage my clients from making comparisons because it is a way of feeding their negative self-thoughts. It may not sound like it, but looking at others and wondering or wishing why you can’t have their amazing bodies means you are comparing yourself with others. Always doing that can get you stuck in the depression lane and prevent you from appreciating yourself or making progress.
“Ugly” Thinking
It upsets me to say this, but most – if not all – the individuals with weight-loss issues I talked to believed that they were far from gorgeous. They hide in baggy, unflattering clothes and try their best to keep others from seeing their flaws. And since they don’t think they deserve to be picky in life, they often get conned by the people around them.
There is nothing else to blame for such a mindset but media and the standard of beauty they portrayed for decades. If they celebrated big-bodied men and women in the past, plus-size people would not have felt inadequate. Getting over this issue takes months for some people, especially since the idea that ugly equates to fat has been sadly ingrained in their brains.
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Stressors
The difficulty of achieving weight-loss goals increases significantly when you are dealing with too much stress. For instance, you may be drowning in projects at work, you cannot get over a bad breakup, or you have been having a family dispute.
How do similar problems affect your weight, you may ask? If you have a hectic work schedule, it’s easy to jump out of your diet and feel like you deserve a cheat day or five. The same thing happens when you are fresh out of a relationship, and overeating seems to be the best way to desensitize yourself from your emotions. And if too many problems are occurring at once, you may even forget to exercise, thus halting your progress.
Final Thoughts
Peeling off those negative things like the layers of onion was not a cakewalk for everyone. Some would want to stop in the middle of the session because the topic was getting closer to home, but I would remind them that it was necessary to form better habits.
Fast forward to 2021; I am happy to say that I have helped almost 100 clients through my sister’s weight loss program.
Every person I met during my adulthood admired the way I carried and presented myself to others. Some said, “You are so confident in your own skin; I love it!” Others were like, “I have never been as brave as you are ever!”
Why did those people talk like that, you might ask? That’s because I worked as a size-16 model for some of the biggest brands that showcased plus-sized beauties. Lingerie, dresses, formal wear – I had modeled them all for prints and ads. I had also gotten used to seeing my face and body on massive billboards from time to time, and people started to recognize me on the streets.
Did the attention make me happy? Ha, I would be a hypocrite if I said no. Everyone loved the attention – even the ones who were adamant about saying that they did not. That’s especially true for me now that I got plenty of positive attention wherever I would go.
Many people did not know, though, that things did not always look bright for me.
The Back Story
I had always been a big girl since childhood. There was never a time when Mom and I would ask for a small size for my clothes because I often ranged between large to extra large.
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This reality did not make me think twice about myself or my appearance before going to primary school. My mother always called me the “most beautiful girl in the world,” after all. Most kids at pre-school did not have a concept of beauty either, so I had no reason not to believe Mom.
But then, I had to go and enter first grade. My classmates were pretty lovely and hardly talked about my weight, but I was like a fair game outside the classroom. On my first week, I heard someone say, “We have a new fatty in town.”
Although it did not bother me too much, I realized that I was bigger than many kids at school. I did not know what to do, so I kept the bullying incident a secret from my mother. And even if I was very young, I assumed that the teasing would go away soon enough.
Unfortunately, I endured the weight-related talks for years, causing me to become too conscious about my size. I stopped wearing clothes that would emphasize my arms or thighs; I no longer wore sandals because someone joked about my feet looking like plump doughs. If you looked inside my closet, you would only see pullovers, track pants, and other baggy clothes.
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The Revelation
As much as I tried to keep my self-consciousness under the wraps, my mother was not born yesterday. She was already suspicious when I asked her to take all my sleeveless tops. When she saw my new clothing of choice, it confirmed that I was changing myself based on my weight.
Mom sat me down before dinner and practically told me that I was like a pearl trying to hide in a shell. I was surprised by how spot-on her description was of me, and so I ended up revealing the bullying I experienced for years. She was already crying before I could even finish my last sentence, possibly feeling too sorry for me.
When my mother calmed down, she said, “This is not okay. We will go to a therapist tomorrow so that you can raise your confidence that those bullies broke down.”
I had no words at that moment. I did not fathom that my issues warranted therapy. While it happened in the 90s, the only people I heard to receive this treatment were those with mental disorders. However, Mom assured me that therapy was helpful for everyone, regardless of whether you had a condition or not.
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The Life Changes
My therapist made it clear from the beginning that she could not solve my problems. “My role is to teach you how to harness the tools you already possess to fix your issues. No one can fight your battles when you become an adult, so you need to start learning how to tackle the problems as early as now.”
With the therapist’s help, I understood that my self-worth did not hinge on my weight. Would it be fun to try wearing a size 6 someday? Sure. But would I deserve love and respect less than the next person if I decided to stay in my size-16 body? No way!
Keeping this mindset did not come easy to me, especially after hearing people tell me that I was a joke for being a big girl. Luckily, I had a therapist and a mother who never gave up on me.
Final Thoughts
It had been years since I graduated from therapy. After that, it was like I developed a protective shield against the bullies. I walked everywhere with my head held high; I wore whatever clothes I wanted. Then, a modeling agent scouted me at the mall, and the rest, as people said, was history.
The perplexing statements around wellness and counseling make it tremendously hard to know how to choose healthy alternatives that improve our well-being. However, being aware of proper nutrition does make a lot of difference in alleviating stress, unpleasant moods, and medication conditions such as hypertension. Qualified nutrition counselors work with their clients to offer thorough nutrition regimens to achieve positive health changes.
Definition
Nutrition counseling is a vital aspect of a complete wellness regimen. However, one must know that nutrition is not the same as dieting. Nutrition counseling is a therapeutic method that assists clients in attaining a generally healthy lifestyle. Individuals of all ages can take advantage of nutrition counseling.
Nutrition counseling entails evaluating different health requirements in terms of diet and physical activity. In addition, a nutrition counselor helps his clients create and reach realistic health goals. So if your target is weight loss or you want to take control of your blood pressure or sugar levels, a nutrition counselor can definitely walk you through getting there.
Below is a list of some of the common benefits of nutrition counseling.
Weight Loss
Nutrition counseling is helpful for individuals who have attempted to lose weight but were not successful. With the supervision of this counseling expert, you will hopefully learn how your body reacts to the various foods that you consume and how to structure a meal plan that produces weight loss and wellness as a whole.
A nutrition counselor meticulously assesses your eating practices to formulate a plan to help you develop permanent, positive modifications and achieve long-term weight loss. Individuals who prefer to be assisted by a nutrition counselor shed off more weight and are inclined to keep it permanently than those who do have not consulted with one.
Enhanced Overall Well-Being
A nutrition counselor concentrates on you as a whole individual. His objective is more profound than losing weight. The objective of proper nutrition is to promote overall health and well-being. With the nutrition counselor working with you, you can use the concept of nutrition to improve sleep, increase energy, reduce stress and anxiety, boost your immune system, improve focus, and decrease symptoms of physical or mental conditions.
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Improved Fitness And Vigor
What you consume affects several areas of your health, and this includes fitness. Your competent nutrition counselor can help create a wholesome meal plan to build muscle mass, increase stamina, improve overall fitness, and develop strength. In addition, by having an awareness of your body’s needs, you can get rid of the disappointing trials of various dietary supplements and methods. Your counselor can also suggest particular fitness regimens that will help you achieve your short and long-term goals.
Better Control Over Chronic Illnesses
Many mental and physical conditions can be alleviated by nutrition counseling, including insulin resistance, diabetes, and high cholesterol. In addition, the kind of food that you consume affects your well-being, so knowing how to select nutritious foods can help you get better control of these conditions – or perhaps even totally reverse them.
Build Lasting Healthy Habits
Clients who work with a nutrition counselor have a higher likelihood of acquiring tools and learning routines to follow for the long term. Once you get to practice proper nutrition and apply what you learn to your daily life, you will know to decide wisely.
Rapid dietary alterations could result in short-term weight loss, but they won’t lead to permanent changes. However, nutrition counselors offer their professional advice for positive, practical modifications that would impact your health and life.
Expectations For Your Initial Appointment
When you get into your initial counseling session, your nutrition counselor will inquire about your objectives and desires. Maybe you want to decrease your salt consumption or shed off some weight. The counselor reads your medical background and keeps track of any supplements or medications that you’re currently taking.
The nutrition counselor will also talk to you about your lifestyle and get a better perspective of how much tension and anxiety you are dealing with, your energy levels, any physical activity, and the quality of your sleep.
Additionally, be ready to talk about your dietary habits, any problem spots such as midnight snacks, and your cooking choices. Your counselor will utilize these details to customize a nutritional plan that is best suits you. A nutrition counselor is your partner who can assist you in achieving your health and wellness goals.
Who Can Benefit From Nutrition Counseling?
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Anyone who wants to talk about his health with a professional can certainly reach a nutrition counselor. Below is a list of some common diseases that can be alleviated with the help of dietary management.
To make it a smoother first visit with your nutrition counselor, you can make a list of everything you consumed in the last 24 hours. It would be much better if you had a food journal that you’ve perhaps started a few days before you decided to consult your counselor. You can include your food choices, usual trouble spots, and what food you want to start eating to be healthier in your journal.
When we are drained and stressed, it is not hard to quit doing things that invigorate our energy and helps us overcome the challenging stages of life in college. Self-care can be defined as the dynamic participation of improving your mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being and quality of life. It reduces some of your stress. It is vital to keep both mental and physical aspects of self-care to attain a general state of wellness. Mental and physical health brings equilibrium to the body and mind, which are crucial for achieving optimal health and wellness. There are internal, relational, and behavioral self-care techniques.
Engaging In Self-Care
There are numerous means to perform self-care. Below are some recommendations.
Emotional Self-Care
Be kind to others. Helping people can alleviate sadness by making you feel great inside. In addition, it increases positivity and hopefulness. When you help someone, you feel gratified and shift your focus from negativity to happiness and fulfillment.
Learn to be optimistic. Optimism is very much associated with emotional tolerance and toughness. Optimism and toughness can lessen anxiety, anger, and depression. Optimism also helps recognize challenges and opportunities for growth and enhance work performance.
Studies have shown that when you smile, even if you don’t feel like smiling, your mood changes positively. This is because the brain cannot actually distinguish between a fake smile and a real smile. Thus, when you smile, although there may be no positive feelings that came with it, your muscles in the face convey positivity to the brain. So don’t forget to smile, ‘though your heart is aching.’
Physical Self-Care
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Common self-care suggestions to keep your physical health at bay include:
Getting sufficient sleep. Most of us need at least six to eight hours of sleep every night so that we feel refreshed and invigorated the next day. Sleep problems significantly impact your work performance and other aspects of your life. Enhance your sleeping habits by creating a regular sleep routine, even on weekends initially. Deviating from your schedule, especially if you’ve just started following it, can disturb your body clock and consequently disturb the entire body.
Do things that can promote relaxation. When you are relaxed, your body recovers better because your muscles are not tense. Relaxation strategies may include deep breathing, meditating, or slow walking. Make sure you include it in your daily to-do list, even for just 10 minutes a day.
Eat healthy food. Maintaining a well-balanced diet helps you remain focused and keeps your body fit and strong. Substitute fast food with homemade food that is lean, green, and nutritious. Practice eating small meals every four hours and drink plenty of water. Don’t skip major meals as this denies your mind and body of energy, limiting you from performing optimally.
Spiritual Self-Care
In terms of spiritual self-care, getting in touch with your principles and values is one way of doing it. If you have high regard for your religion as part of your whole being, find time to meditate and pray. A few minutes each day of divine connection can help enhance your physical and mental health and alleviate stress.
Environmental Self-Care
Ensure that you have sufficient personal space every day. When you have a structured and relaxing atmosphere, you feel happier and less drained. Personal space decreases anxiety and helps make you feel that you are in control of your life. Find time after work to pass by a park or sit by a fountain to reflect. When you get home, organize your desk, clean the living room or bedroom, or wash the plates and pots. You may even find folding your laundry relaxing and rewarding.
Social Self-Care
Participate in community activities. Getting involved in community events and organizations that interest you provides you with a wonderful way to improve your social skills as you interact with other members of your community. As a result, you gain new friends and do things that you bring happiness and joy to.
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Establish a support system. If you don’t live with your family anymore or stay somewhere far from your close friends, it can truly be lonely most of the time. Be comforted knowing that you are not alone. Others feel the same way. Try to build a support system with people with similar likes and interests and those you can depend on for social and emotional support. You don’t really need to open up about your serious concerns if you’re not comfortable. However, social support can be beneficial in decreasing feelings of loneliness. Studies have proven that individuals who have a robust social support network experience less worry and have better general health than those who are socially secluded.
Say no when you need to. Next, you must learn to create healthy limitations. Set your limits and unravel your relational standards. When you are aware of your boundaries, it helps you filter what’s good and what’s bad for you. Each individual requires a different kind of personal time to heal and regain his energy. Lastly, time management skills are crucial for success in professional and personal development.
When you hear your favorite jam on the radio, do you also do a little dance? It doesn’t matter where you are, may it be a public or private space. When you hear a catchy beat, you’d surely find yourself moving along with it. You may even find your body swaying side to side or your arms doing awkward movements.
But don’t worry about your awkward dance because every single human does this, too. We all move around to a beat we like in hopes of lightening the mood or lifting the spirit.
While many people only dance during special occasions, some consider it a way of life. Dancing helps strengthen bones and muscles, from legs to core and arms. Additionally, dance can also help improve breathing, stability, flexibility, and even body coordination.
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Given all these benefits, it’s no wonder how dance has become one of the most enjoyed physical activities in existence. These are just some of the dances people seek for health benefits:
Ballet
Barre
Belly dancing
Jazz
Hip-hop
Pole dancing
Zumba
Besides, dance also helps people improve the social aspect of their lives. When you dance with a partner, you learn to trust they won’t let you fall. On the other hand, dancing with other people means moving with the same rhythm and beat. Here are just some of the social dances to learn about:
Ballroom dancing
Chacha
Foxtrot
Swing
Salsa
Square dancing
Line dancing
Tango
Waltz
But did you know that dancing is also beneficial to your mental health? Studies have been investigating the effects of dance on people with chronic diseases and sedentary lifestyles. Onecomprehensive study has significantly impacted most patients’ cognitive, behavioral, and mental health.
Among the new holistic advancements in mental health is dance/movement therapy (DMT). While this therapy involves dance, it doesn’t necessarily pertain to traditional and popular dances.
So, if you’re curious about what this therapy is and what it can do for you, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the answers to frequently asked questions about dance therapy and its benefits.
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How is dance therapy different from a regular form of dancing?
The regular form of dancing is considered a physical activity that allows a whole-body workout that is entirely engaging and fun. It provides health benefits for the heart; it makes the bones and muscles stronger and helps coordinate and balance.
Dance therapy, on the other hand, focuses on using movements to process behavioral or emotional health. Yes, dance therapy and regular dance help develop confidence, self-esteem, and awareness, but the latter is designed to cater to vastly different mental health issues.
Does dance make you happy?
The body releases endorphins into the bloodstream when dancing. It is a brain chemical component that triggers positive energy and good vibes. The release of these endorphins also improves spatial awareness, raises the heart rate, conditions the body’s bones and muscles, and causes a relaxation sensation.
Dancing helps improve the emotional state and reduce pain perception, which develops a higher level of happiness. In general, dancing improves mood and can reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Dancing provides a boost in mental, physical, and emotional aspects because it makes you feel alive.
Why do humans like to dance?
People love to dance because it is a physical activity that is fun and engaging. It does not have to be precise or complicated as long as one enjoys doing it. Dancing always plays a significant part in a healthy lifestyle because it provides a lot of benefits. It increases stamina, relieves stress, and helps with weight loss and weight gain. It also provides balance and coordination.
Dancing also provides great benefits for mental and emotional health as it helps reduce stress and anxiety levels. Dancing is also a way for people to bond and communicate and often the best way to express feelings that can’t be said and done.
Can dancing help with anxiety?
Like any other exercises and body workouts, dancing benefits are no different from the rest of any physical activities. It still releases the neurotransmitter endorphins, or most commonly known as happy hormones. These hormones serve to reduce stress as it calms the mind and body. It gives people a sense of motivation and optimism.
Dancing allows people to go beyond their fears, worries, expectations, and doubts. Dancing helps them to discover new things and become the best version of themselves.
How does dance therapy help mentally?
Dancing strengthens the physical aspects by improving posture, preventing falls, and encouraging the body’s flexibility.
But the best part of dancing is not limited to the physical benefits only because it provides a wide variety of mental and emotional health advantages. It lifts mood, eases anxiety, helps regulate emotions, stabilizes thoughts, and often treats anxiety, stress, and depression symptoms.
Dancing can communicate with conscious and unconscious feelings and allow a release of tension through movement expression.
How does dance affect the mind?
Studies show that dance increases levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin to help reduce stress. It also helps strengthen distinct neural connections, especially in brain areas concerned with long-term memory, decision-making function, problem-solving, memory, and spatial recognition.
Dancing boosts the brain’s development by removing unwanted stressors that keep the brain functioning at full potential. It is an engaging and enjoyable activity that increases aerobic power, sharpens the mind, builds social bonds, and reduces stiffness and body pain.
Is dancing enough exercise?
Dancing is a whole-body activity that helps you unwind and have fun. It’s good for your heart as it helps with blood circulation. Dancing makes you stronger as it strengthens the bones and muscles and enhances endurance levels. It helps with balance and coordination, too, as it improves flexibility and agility. It also helps burn fat and calories, which makes it the most engaging method for weight loss.
A 15 to 30-minute dancing can go a long way because of increased physical fitness and gross motor skills development, encourages creativity and imagination, and improved confidence and self-esteem.
Why is dance fun?
Dancing, or moving to the music beat, is fun because it encourages and increases social bonding with other individuals. It allows people to communicate with the use of the physical rhythmic connection and expression. Dancing provides mental, emotional, and physical refreshment, relaxation, and entertainment.
Dancing is a form of exercise that does not require any complicated routines as long as you feel comfortable working with your body. Dancing promotes self-awareness and confidence that is useful in maintaining well-balanced overall health.
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Why is dance so important?
Dancing is significantly important in a person’s life because it helps people of all ages stay mentally, emotionally, and physically in shape. Dancing has a wide range of benefits, including improved lungs and heart, increased bone and muscular strength, improved endurance and motor fitness, and developed flexibility and balance.
Dancing provides full cognitive development, as it allows creativity and imagination to takes place. It provides the mind and body a boost as it relieves stress, anxiety, pain, and other health problems.
How does watching dance make you feel?
Watching dance can stimulate memories in the brain as it mentally processes patterns of movement and coordination with each step you see. That is because both the muscles and brain respond to watching someone or people dance.
This feeling is largely related to empathy with others. That explains why, when others exhibit happiness and joy, people tend to feel the same way. When they see others enjoying what they do, it also makes them happy and a bit excited.
Does dancing improve mood?
Yes. Dancing can be a form of therapy because it improves mood, regulates emotions, and reduces anxiety and depression symptoms. It releases many feel-good hormones called endorphins into the bloodstream, which allows you to feel happy and optimistic.
Dancing helps in modifying your emotional state as it encourages you to focus on other things rather than your worries and fears. Every step your body is making allows you to become more balanced and well-coordinated with flexibility and endurance.
How does your mind feel after dancing?
The mind works differently after 15 to 30 minutes of dance movements. Studies show that reduced stress and increased feel-good hormone serotonin are associated with continued jiving with patented movements. There is a development of new neural connections that prevent stress, anxiety, or depressive states.
Conclusion
Back then, dance was just an activity to bring people together and a sport to strengthen the physique. But now, dance has become one of the most holistic creations humans use to achieve overall health and wellness.
It can help reduce stress, improve mood, and express pent-up emotions. With all its benefits, dancing has become more than just a physical and social activity.
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DMT and dance may be similar in some ways, like building confidence and self-esteem. However, DMT differs by targeting specific mental health issues such as:
Anxiety
Autism
Depression
Dementia
Eating disorders
Stress (PTSD)
DMT also has a warm-up, assessments, observation, and verbal assessment phases. So, don’t worry too much if you were born with two left feet. You can still achieve positive results as long as you commit to the process.
While DMT may be an exciting way to manage your mental health, you also have to stay cautious. There are many requirements to becoming a dance therapist. So, beware of people claiming they are dance therapists. They may brand themselves as DMT practitioners and charge you expensive rates. However, they may only be offering regular dance classes in reality, which you get for lower prices elsewhere.
The best way to rule out fake dance therapists is by looking at their credentials. Your potential therapist should have an R-DMT (Registered Dance Movement Therapist) designation. If not, they should have at least a Master’s degree in Dance/Movement Therapy. You should ask them about their experience and approach to dance therapy, too.
You can find dance therapists online. If you still have trouble finding a therapist, you can try these institutions as they usually have dance therapists:
Counseling centers
Drug treatment centers
Health and wellness care clinics
Nursing homes
Schools
Rehabilitation centers
With this new knowledge about dance therapy, you’ll surely have more options to feeling better mentally, physically, and socially. Healing can be a long and tiring process if you aren’t enjoying what you do. But with dance therapy, you’ll learn how to enjoy and dance your way to a better life ahead.
Current studies and trials reveal that around 50% of those who have depression and anxiety choose holistic therapy to help reduce their anxiety symptoms. When asked why they want this, most people say that they are often attracted to collective or combined care for their mental health illness. This view considers the complicated character of anxiety and depressive disorders and the many reasons why individuals experience them.
Yoga And Mindfulness
Research on relaxation, yoga, and stress reduction therapy reveals positive results for depression and anxiety. There is a particularly large part of research revealing that mindfulness practice can dramatically affect mood. Mindfulness meditation has been proven to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety after only two months. Mindful movement exercises, such as qigong, tai chi, and yoga, may also provide relief. Given that it is cost-effective to learn these exercises with just a few hazards, they are worth trying. And aside from the proof of effectiveness, these exercises can offer a sense of control in several aspects of one’s life.
Body-Mind Practices
Body and mind practices are strategies that you can utilize to improve the mind’s positive effect on the body, and so is the other way around. Some of these practices that are seen being used in treating anxiety and depression include hypnosis, relaxation training, meditation, and imagery.
These practices have become a vital part of conventional healing strategies like traditional Chinese medicine, ayurvedic, and Tibetan medicine. Additionally, hypnosis is utilized by conventional dentists, psychotherapists, and other healthcare professionals.
Nutritional Supplementation
The distinctiveness of an individual’s biochemical processes is just starting to be acknowledged. The progressive area of Functional Medicine attempts to consider both the genomic information and the unique variations in every person’s metabolism, including their need for specific nutrients. Recent suggestions, as follows, are grounded from an overall understanding of the chemistry of the human brain. Remember that the greatest source of nutrients for the mind and body comes from nutrition-dense products.
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Below are frequently asked questions and their answers about the best supplements to help treat and manage anxiety.
What is the best natural remedy for anxiety?
If you want to get rid of your anxiety naturally, you can start by getting physically active, as exercise is a great way to maintain emotional and physical health. Avoid drinking alcohol or drinks with caffeine. Quitting smoking is also important in naturally alleviating anxiety. Finally, learning meditation and other relaxation strategies would really help get rid of your anxiety.
What herbs help anxiety and stress?
Supplements and herbs that may help reduce stress and anxiety include chamomile, Ashwagandha, kava, Cannabidiol, Valerian, and lavender.
What is the best natural antidepressant?
Some of the most effective natural antidepressants include saffron, zinc, St. John’s Wort, Omega-3 fatty acids, and folate.
What jasmine plant is best for anxiety?
The oil extracted from yellow or white jasmine flowers is fragrant and apparently very useful. For centuries, it has long been utilized in most Asian countries to naturally treat anxiety, depression, low sex drive, insomnia, and emotional distress.
What flower symbolizes anxiety?
Lavender and jasmine are known to decrease anxiety and stress levels, produce relaxation, lower heart rate, and improve sleep. They make great additions to your bedroom or living room.
What plants are good for depression?
Popular plants that can help reduce depression include basil, chamomile, aloe vera, bamboo palm, flamingo lily, fern, and English ivy.
What is a natural sedative for anxiety?
Individuals who have insomnia, which is frequently a problem caused by anxiety, popularly utilize the valerian. Thus, it is also used for patients suffering from anxiety.
Can plants reduce anxiety?
Indoor plants are an affordable way to lighten up the mood and improve the appearance of a workplace. A current Japanese study reports that plants could also help enhance one’s mental health while at work. Individuals who placed small plants on their desks claimed to have reduced stress and anxiety levels after a four-week time span.
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Other Ways To Treat Anxiety
Aside from the supplements and approaches that help manage anxiety, there are also a few other holistic strategies, including:
Aromatherapy. Essential oils are non-hazardous and can benefit people with depression and anxiety. You have a lot of scents that you can choose from according to your preference. The essential oils of basil, chamomile, frankincense, and lavender are mostly found to produce a relaxing effect (for people with anxiety). In contrast, peppermint and bergamot oils are invigorating and can benefit those who suffer from depression.
Pet And Animal-Assisted Therapies
Pet animals have been shown to play a big role as a therapeutic mediation for those who experience depression and anxiety. Equine-assisted therapists have also become very useful for individuals with depression and anxiety.
Music Therapy
Music therapy entails voluntarily performing music or listening to one to enhance healing and recovery. Bigger studies are required to confirm recommendations, but given the few hazards and their cost-effectiveness, music therapy may be a beneficial strategy for people interested in this area. Experts suggest listening to your favorite music habitually, daily, or weekly, perhaps, to start seeing a decrease in anxious or depressive symptoms.
Nature-Based Approach
Being one with nature can decrease depression and anxiety and increase positive emotions. Retreating at a beautiful natural scene, people claim that they feel happy, hopeful, peaceful, and alive. Being united with nature definitely helps people feel better mentally and emotionally. It decreases heart rate, production of stress hormones, blood pressure, and muscle tension, all of which indicate stress and anxiety.
So when you suddenly feel like giving up or find it hard to overcome your anxiety, try stopping at an open space – a golf course, for example. Take a walk and try to let go of your worries. Or maybe pick up your tools and work on improving your garden.
Chinese Traditional Medicine
Chinese medicine practitioners work with people to improve their physical and mental balance, activity, and nutrition, utilizing herbs, tai chi, acupuncture, massage, movement practices, and other techniques.
Naturopathy
Naturopathic medicine involves exercise, supplements, hydrotherapy, natural greens, body and mind strategies, etc. For people who prefer natural approaches, naturopathy and talk therapy could be a very effective combination.
Everywhere you look online, there will always be a post on mental health or mental health awareness. Different people with different platforms and voices have come together to create a single voice for the mentally struggling people.
Being in a healthy place in your life is a wonderful feeling. You get to overthink a lot less than you used to, and you finally feel at peace with how your life is going. It is a comfort that not many have but many desire.
If you always think that something is wrong with your life, then it will be like that. The mind is a very powerful thing. What you think will happen. For example, you always think that your life is a mess, then it will be a mess. But how come some people receive blessings left and right? It is not just about hard work. It is also about positive thinking – and this is what we need now even though people are dying, left, and right. This pandemic has brought all of us down, but it should not make us feel powerless.
People with AD or anxiety disorder are finding it hard to live daily pre-Coronavirus. Today, it is much more stressful for them because their anxiety can go to the next level. Those without the disorder are already anxious if they have it or not. What more for those who are prone to having fears?
