Anxiety BUSTERS!

A reader of HardAnxiety pointed me to the Anxiety BUSTERS program website, and I wanted to quote some things I found there....

Snacking Your Way to Feeling Better-
Make sure you take time out to eat 3 meals a day and have snacks in between. It can be low fat snacks if you're watching your weight but be sure and eat something, especially in the late afternoon hours . Blood sugar tends to drop when you go too long without eating and worrying can add to that drop. You'll be pleasantly surprised as your spirits lift after a protein snack (turkey, chicken, cheese, peanut butter) on a cracker and a glass of juice. Take the late morning or afternoon tensions and calm them with a snack. You'll find the day much easier to negotiate when you keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel.

Take It S L O W...
Rushing promotes stress, which can lead to anxiety symptoms. Take it slow and see how much more you accomplish in the long run...And how much better you feel. Don't hurry through the store, through the day, or through your life. Take the time to see what's around you, and stop running from anxious feelings. Just take it slow and see it through, the right way. Slow's the way to GO.

Put Out The Fire!
The next time you reach for a cigarette to calm an anxious moment just STOP and remember this: Besides the obvious health hazards of cigarettes they are also stimulants due to the nicotine content. Stimulants make your heart beat faster, speed up your system and actually increase anxiety symptoms. The calm feeling one sometimes experiences when taking a deep drag on a cigarette is just that. It's the deep inhalation combined with the slow exhalation through your mouth after you hold it in for a moment. You can do the same exact thing by just breathing in, holding it a moment or two and then slowly letting it out through your mouth. The result is the same relaxed feeling without the negative effects of cigarette smoking!

Give Yourself Permission!
The next time you are troubled by a certain feeling, can't fall asleep, or just want a stubborn symptom to disappear, just GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION to experience it. Stop resisting it and surrender to it. Remember, what you resist persists! When it stops mattering so very much you will be pleasantly surprised to notice it disappears.