They say your body’s a temple and all that, and it’s probably true. When you have anxiety, and your moods can change easily, it’s a good idea to be aware of what you put into your body. Over the years I have noticed a few things intensify my anxiety or give me really bad reactions, but it’s only recently that I have really paid attention.
I’m not saying cut back on all your favourite things, just be mindful of how your body reacts after you have certain things. If you have this awareness, if you suddenly have a particularly awful bout of anxiety, or take a turn for the worse, you will be better equipped to notice when something might have triggered these feelings. If you have anxiety, there are some things you just shouldn’t eat/drink/take/ingest/use if you want to feel like a normal human being.
For me, caffeine seems to be the devil. Plus, deciding to completely cut it out means, now, if I do accidentally have caffeine, the effects are even worse. I had an incident the other day (which shows I’m still not being cautious enough or paying enough attention) where I took some painkillers (Anadin) which I thought were basically paracetamol. After getting the shakes and awful physical anxiety symptoms for three days, I finally realised they contain caffeine. Oopps. Who knew?
Another fail was a week or so ago when I had a couple of decaf cappuccinos, thinking they have no caffeine in them, obviously not. That combined with the Anadin caffeine pills probably tipped me over the edge a little.
Lately I have realised that I have a special talent, it’s called ‘making life harder for myself’. Yup, if there is a chance to test myself or do something silly that will add yet another hurdle to overcome, I will do it. Go me.
Not wanting to repeat that episode again, I have made a vow to check everything I put into my body, and properly read the ingredients. When you think you are doing really well and your anxiety is improving and then you suddenly hit a brick wall, it can be really frustrating. But the reality is it may not always be you, you might have eaten or taken something that has clashed horribly with your anxiety.
I think a good rule to follow if you suffer from bad anxiety is to generally avoid stimulants. When I got signed off work by my doctor, his advice was to avoid alcohol, sugar and caffeine. So I did. It didn’t stop my anxiety but it probably helped.
I generally don’t have much sugar these days so that’s not a worry, but my alcohol consumption has gradually been creeping up. It’s only at weekends, but after plenty of meals out and copious amounts of prosecco with the girls, I have definitely gone over the recommended amounts!
So over the next couple of months when I haven’t got any hen dos or weddings I am going to chill a little and try not to drink so much gin and vino. Hopefully this will make me feel better and prevent those cheeky alcoholic beverages from starting a fight with my anxiety.
If you know you are only eating good stuff, drinking water and fueling your body with the right things, you know you will be able to give beating your anxiety your absolute best shot.
