Hi, it’s Connie again. First let’s talk about what anxiety is. The American Century dictionary says “1. being anxious 2 worry or concern 3 eagerness; troubled desire.” Anxiety can be fear of being in crowds, being late, having to give a speech before a small group or a large crowd. There are different kinds of things that can cause anxiety. Even singing a song in church or in front of a school crowd can cause anxiety. You ask what the signs are of anxiety. It can be mild which is increased breathing from normal to a little elevated, like 16 to 20 respirations a minute. Or it could be where you feel like you can’t move or talk. Some people sweat or just the palms of their hands do.  I have anxiety with airports and fear of not being able to make it to my gate on time, or the airline changing my connecting gate while I am in the air. My husband is always telling me to calm down, it will be okay, and you know what he is right.

You ask if there are some natural ways to help with the anxiety? Yes, there are. I will tell you of a few that I know about, and what I do when I travel or take a long car trip. Oh yes traffic gets to me in the bigger cities. I am not worried about my driving, just the other people driving. There is Aromatherapy which helps relax, boost your mood, overall improve health. It is essential oils of Lavender, Ylang Ylang, grapefruit, clary sage, Bergamot, and peppermint. You can place a few drops in a diffuser in your home or car or place the drops on a Lava bead bracelet or Necklace. You can mix your favorite scent in a carrier oil to place on your wrist or neck. Unless your oil is already mixed then you can place it directly onto your skin without mixing it. Mine is mixed and ready to use. I use Peppermint oil. It helps with relaxing and my headaches. I can’t say it will work for you, but it does for me.

There are other ways besides oils. Some people do not like oils because they can be strong. There is meditation that involves mindfulness. Focusing on removing the chaotic thoughts from your mind. Making your mind a calm Island, a blank if you will. Meditation can help relieve anxiety symptoms. Help you to feel and move with ease. There are also deep breathing exercises to ward off panic. If you feel anxiety coming on, take a deep breath, hold it and let it out slowly. Imagining all the stress is going out with your breathing. Doing it a couple of times helps to slow your breathing down and keep you from breathing too fast. There are weighted blankets if you are home. Different sizes and different weights. The weight pressing down on your body and the warmth is comforting. If you do not have weighted blankets, you can pile more than 1 blanket on top. Decreasing your stressors helps with it. Last but not least if you cannot function with your anxiety see your doctor, He/She can prescribe something to help. Some people just need a low dose of Ativan as needed for the extra stressful times. Be safe out there during these Holiday times, Happy Thanksgiving.