Ashwagandha, also known as Withania somnifera, is an adaptogenic herb that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. This powerful herb has a wide range of health benefits and is a popular choice for combatting anxiety, stress, and other health issues. In this post, we’ll discuss some of the main benefits and uses for ashwagandha.
One of the most well-known benefits of ashwagandha is its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, which means it helps the body adapt to stressors. Studies have shown that ashwagandha can help lower cortisol levels, a hormone released during periods of stress. This herb can also help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, such as nervousness and restlessness.
Improves Brain Function
Ashwagandha has been shown to improve brain function and memory. It contains compounds that protect the brain from oxidative stress, while promoting the growth of new brain cells. One study found that supplementing with 400mg of ashwagandha improved executive function, helped with sustaining attention, and increased short term and working memory.
Lowers Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Supplementing with this herb has been shown to be an effective way to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. High levels of these substances are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, so supplementing with ashwagandha can help improve heart health.
Boosts Immune System
Ashwagandha contains immune-boosting properties and can be effective at helping the body fight off infections. It increases the production of white blood cells, which are crucial for an effective immune system. Studies have also shown that ashwagandha can help to increase the activity of natural killer cells that are responsible for fighting infection and disease.
Enhances Muscle Strength and Endurance
This adaptogenic herb has been found to enhance muscle strength and endurance. Read Great Green Wall’s ashwagandha research to find out more on how it can increase testosterone levels naturally, which can help with boosting muscle mass and strength.
Improves Sleep Quality
As mentioned earlier, Ashwagandha helps to reduce stress and anxiety, which can lead to other benefits, such as improved sleep quality. It also has some mild sedative properties that may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep for longer.
Reduces Inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to protect against infection and injury. However, chronic inflammation can cause several health problems including cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce inflammation, which may help to prevent these health issues.
Regulates Blood Sugar
Studies have found that in people with diabetes, ashwagandha can regulate blood sugar levels. It increases insulin sensitivity and helps the body use glucose more efficiently.
Anti-Cancer Properties
Ashwagandha contains compounds that have been found to have anti-cancer properties. It can induce cell death in cancer cells and prevent tumor growth and spread. In one study, ashwagandha extract was found to have potential to slow the growth of some cancers, including breast cancer.
Fights Depression
Along with helping reduce stress and anxiety, another benefit of ashwagandha for your mental health is that it has been shown to have antidepressant properties. Supplementing with this adaptogenic herb can help to alleviate the symptoms of depression, such as low mood and lack of interest in activities.
Reduces Joint Pain
The anti-inflammatory properties of Ashwagandha not only help to protect against serious disease, but can also help reduce joint pain, including in people with symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Supports Thyroid Function
Ashwagandha has been shown to support thyroid function in people with hypothyroidism. It may increase thyroid hormone levels and improve symptoms like weight gain and fatigue.
This powerful adaptogenic herb can improve your health in various ways. Whether you want to improve your mental health and wellbeing, or boost your physical health and immune system, it’s worth considering.
If you fear your partner leaving you, it probably means you have what’s called an insecure attachment style. In relationships, we aren’t meant to have anxiety that our partner could leave us at any moment. Instead, we should feel secure enough in the relationship that this won’t happen, or we should feel secure enough with ourselves that even if they do leave – you’ll be okay.
You just scheduled withBlack Tie Moving to help you move closer to your partner, but you’re starting to have serious doubts. You don’t want to be on edge about the future of the relationship. That’s perfectly understandable, but it’s important that you first acknowledge the cause of this fear. That’s why we’re offering 3 potential reasons you fear your partner abandoning you.
Unhealed Trauma
One of the main causes of fear of abandonment is unhealed trauma from your past. This is something that occurred before you and your partner even met, and it makes it feel impossible to fully trust them. You’ve been let down in the past, and you’ve carried that over into your current relationship. At some point, someone made you feel that you can’t rely on anyone to stay.
Unhealed trauma carries with it a lot of baggage. If we don’t take the time to acknowledge and grow from our trauma, it remains dormant – only rearing its ugly head when we develop issues with relationships later on in life. This is why it’s incredibly important to seek help from a mental health professional, so you can be free of your past and learn how to navigate relationships in a healthy way.
Unmet Needs in Childhood
Most of our patterns and behaviors in relationships stem from our childhood. If you had a childhood where you didn’t feel secure, it’s bound to make you feel insecure in your relationships. This is because, as children, we expect our parents to love us and validate our feelings. If your parents didn’t provide you with the care and attention you needed, you’ll find it difficult to trust others to do the same.
Childhood is a particularly vulnerable time. We lean on our parents for emotional support and to feel worthy of love. If our parents are disconnected from us, we subconsciously carry this with us throughout our lives. This doesn’t necessarily mean our parents did a bad job, it’s just that sometimes parents don’t know how to give us the love and attention we need. Unfortunately, this can lead to us fearing abandonment in romantic relationships later on in life.
Narcissistic Relationship
Sometimes we fear abandonment not because of our past, but because of our current relationship. Narcissistic relationships are notorious for causing atrauma bond which leads us to never feel safe in the relationship. This is because the narcissist uses manipulation tactics such as love bombing, lying, and gaslighting to distort our perception of them and of our reality.
Narcissistic relationships are incredibly harmful to our mental health, and they often lead to fear of your partner abandoning you. The narcissist will make you believe you’re worthy of love at the start of the relationship, and they will slowly start to withhold love from you. In turn, this causes confusion on your part, and you start to believe nobody else would want you but the narcissist. This is what causes a deep fear of them abandoning you.
You just scheduled an appointment withConfident Comfort to have them install some specialized heating in your house. This winter has really taken a toll on you, and you’re anxiously waiting for Spring to arrive. We certainly get it, and that’s why we’re offering 5 ways to fight the winter blues.
Let’s get into it!
Bundle Up and Go Outside
The last thing you want to do is go outside when it’s near freezing temperatures. However, one of the best ways to fight the winter blues is to get some exposure to the sun and nature. Even if it’s for 10 minutes a day. Fortunately, we have the ability to bundle up so we can spend some time outside without getting too cold.Studies show that spending time outside helps reduce cortisol levels, heart rate, and even helps with combatting depression and anxiety.
You want to make sure that you have your shutters and blinds open in the winter. While you might want to hibernate, getting the natural light in will help with your mental health. This goes along with spending time outdoors, exposure to natural light has positive effects on your mood and wellbeing. It also helps your body know that it’s time to be awake – which helps with seasonal fatigue that hits in winter time.
Light Therapy Box
There’s certainly a shortage of natural light in the colder months depending on where you live. However, you could invest in alight therapy box. These nifty devices help to mimic natural sunlight. In a way, it’s tricking your body into thinking that there is still daylight out. Light therapy boxes have been shown to help people who experience effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Stay Active
Exercise is one of the fastest and easiest methods to elevate your mood.Experts say that you can feel a positive shift in your mood in as little as 5 minutes after you start exercising. Not only that, but research suggests that physical activity also helps manage and treat symptoms of long-term depression. So, if you’re feeling down in the wintertime, do a home workout or hit the gym! You’re sure to feel better in no time.
Get Creative
It’s hard to find energy and stay positive sometimes when you feel like you’re trapped inside. This is why you should consider tapping into your creative side.Creativity has been linked to higher activated positive affect and a reduction in depression symptoms and anxiety. The more time you spend working on creative goals, the more likely you are to feel better and have an increase in positive emotions.
The Rundown
Winter can be a season that makes us feel isolated and down. It makes sense as we aren’t getting our regular dose of nature and sunlight. However, there are ways to help alleviate some of the symptoms of wintertime blues. Try some of the suggestions above and see what works for you! And remember: Spring is just around the corner.
Being in the public eye can be a pressure-filled
environment, leaving many famous people struggling to handle the stresses and
strains.
Creative types, top athletes and many other people cannot
handle being in the spotlight, often leading to them suffering with worry,
anxiety and depression.
However, by working with professionals to understand these
conditions, many celebrities have learned to manage the symptoms and thrive in
their respective careers.
Read on as we look at some of the world’s most famous people
have managed to conquer anxiety and worry.
Demi Lovato at Elvis Duran Show
Exercise the key for
Lovato
Singer Demi Lovato has regularly spoken about her struggles
with mental health and says she uses a variety of methods to deal with her
anxiety issues.
The founder of the ‘Be Vocal: Speak Up For Mental Health’
initiative, Lovato has regularly opened up about living with bipolar disorder
and battling anxiety in the past.
She says that solutions can vary from person to person and
has encouraged people not to stay silent about mental health issues.
“I can’t stress enough to vocalize your needs to a great support system – whether it’s your family or even an online community of people who are going through the same thing that you are,” she told the Huffington Post.
“It’s so important to vocalise what you’re dealing with
instead of internalising it and letting it manifest into unhealthy behavior.
That eventually leads to lifelong problems. That’s the most important thing you
can do.
“Exercising is another way I deal with anxiety. Painting,
and writing music and expressing myself through art are other ways that I can
release emotions. Meditation is another one. Whatever it is, it’s important to
find what works for you.”
Soreness, tiredness and feelings of nausea are amongst the
main side effects of intensive training and restrictions on certain
pharmaceuticals make it difficult for athletes to get relief from the symptoms.
With top level sports being a pressure-filled environment,
many athletes also suffer bouts of anxiety often brought on by concerns about
their injuries or worrying about performance.
Performing
helps Stone cope
Oscar winner, Emma Stone, says performing on the big screen
helps her cope with lifelong anxiety and panic attacks.
Stone struggled with deep separation anxiety as a youngster
and was eventually diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder and panic
disorder.
She learned cognitive therapy techniques that helped her cope with anxiety and channel her feelings into productive behaviour.
“I believe the people who have anxiety and depression are very, very sensitive and very, very smart,” she said.
“Because the world is hard and scary and there’s a lot that goes on and if you’re very attuned to it, it can be crippling.
“But if you don’t let it cripple you and use it for something productive, it’s like a superpower.”
Today, she manages her anxiety with therapy, meditation,
being with others and keeping busy. She also steers clear of social media to
ensure she avoids putting herself in difficult situations.
She takes medication to manage her depression, but freely
admits that talking about the problem is the key to her wellbeing.
The ‘Star is Born’ actress created the Born This Way
Foundation in 2012 to build empowered communities and improve mental health
resources for young adults.
Gaga believes that mental health is just as vital to our
wellbeing as physical health, and insists that talking about it can really
help.
“I’ve suffered through depression and anxiety my entire life – I still suffer with it every single day,” she said.
“I just want these kids to know that that depth that they feel as human beings is normal. We were born that way. This modern thing, where everyone is feeling shallow and less connected? That‘s not human.
“I think it’s better when we all say: ‘Cheers!’ And ‘fess up to it.”
Fish urges people to talk
In 2012, tennis star Mardy Fish began suffering from anxiety
attacks so serious that he had to withdraw before a match against Rodger
Federer at the US Open.
His anxiety ultimately led him to retiring from the sport,
but therapy, medication and talking openly about his mental-health difficulties
have proved to be a life-saver.
“Mental health is not a very easy thing to talk about in sports,” he told the Players’ Tribune. “It’s not perceived as very masculine.
“We’re so trained to be ‘mentally tough,’ in sports. To show weakness, we’re told, in so many words, is to deserve shame.”
Fish has refused to be defined by anxiety disorder and has
found his way back into tennis as captain of the US Davis Cup team.
He believes that his previous experiences make him
well-equipped to help the current crop of players deal with the pressures of
representing their country.
“To be the Davis Cup captain, the next Davis Cup captain, I’m incredibly humbled,” Fish said. “I can’t even express how excited I am, how excited I am that the players have supported the decision.
“The friendships I’ve made throughout the years, relationships of all the players, not just the top players, is very special.”
Living with anxiety can make even the most mundane of situations difficult to deal with. To get through the day often requires you to use coping mechanisms that others don’t understand or have no patience with. It can cost you your relationships, job, and self-esteem.
Although anxiety is a serious, chronic condition, there are ways that you can help manage it yourself if you are determined to get it under control. Here are 5 ways that you can work through your anxiety every day.
How to Keep Your Anxiety Controlled
1. Try some teas. It sounds like putting a band-aid on a serious wound, but there are numerous scientific studies that show that teas like chamomile and lavender have calming properties that work to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety.
Chamomile, for example, has certain compounds that connect to the same receptors in your brain that drugs like Valium do. If tea isn’t your thing, you can often find chamomile and lavender naturally in supplement form.
Image source Pixabay
2. Take a mental health break. Your entire future depends on what you do in each moment, and when you are making decisions with anxiety ruling your actions, it can be dangerous to your long-term health.
Instead of letting your anxiety mess up your chances for a successful, happy life, try to take mental health breaks when you need them. Go on a trip, visit friends, keep your mind off of things that make you inherently anxious. And if you need to take time off of work to avoid serious complications, you might want to look intoshort term disability for anxiety.
3. Get some exercise. It can seem like the hardest thing to do when you are in the throes of anxiety, but force yourself to get out of the house. You don’t necessarily have to hit the gym and spend an hour doing cardio. Even a brisk walk around the neighborhood is often enough to shake most people out of their anxious state in that moment.
4. Watch your food intake. Certain foods trigger feelings of anxiety, and others help reduce those triggers. If you aren’t getting enough vitamins and minerals, like folate or phytonutrients, your body may be kicking into panic mode or displaying symptoms of anxiety that could have easily been avoided if you were simply eating right.
5. Get real with yourself. When you catch your mind delving into those “What ifs” and nightmare predictions that might or might not come true, inhale a few deep breaths, take a break from what you are doing, and try to pinpoint what’s real versus what you may be blowing out of proportion.
Consider whether what you are worrying about so much is actually likely to happen, then take it a little further and explore the consequences that could occur if it did happen. Chances are, they aren’t as bad as you are building them up to be.
Then, take it a little further and ask yourself what you can possibly do to stop it from happening. If, as things do, life must unfold by itself without your superhero tendencies, then you should just do the best that you can do and let everything else happen as it will.
You Don’t Have to Take Anxiety Laying Down
None of these suggestions will work for everyone with anxiety, and if you have a serious case of this condition, you should speak with your doctor. However, the first step to healing is to admit you have a problem and then attempt to take control of your life.
With these 5 ways to manage anxiety yourself, you can put your life back on track and get a handle on your anxiety.
It’s well-known that living in New York City can be extremely stressful. With so much going on around you, it’s hard to find a time to relax and catch your breath, especially if you’re also dealing with school or work-related stress. With that in mind, here are some ways to reduce stress and anxiety while living in NYC.
Find a therapist
First, try enlisting the help of a professional. A simple online search, such as “therapist in NYC,” or “therapist near me” will yield a multitude of results. You can also try asking friends and family for recommendations. Talking to a therapist will help you get to the root of your anxiety. You’ll learn coping mechanisms to use anytime you start feeling overwhelmed. In addition to helping you fight stress and anxiety, therapy can provide you with a ton of other benefits.
Your therapist will also provide guidance on how to make sure your body is prepared to handle any stress that might come your way. Stress and anxiety can weaken your body and cause physical symptoms if left untreated — in fact, too much stress can actually make you sick. Eating healthy, drinking enough water, and setting aside time to focus on yourself are all essential.
Get enough sleep
Since noise pollution is rampant throughout the city, it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep. Noise pollution is disruptive and can keep your body in high alert when you should be asleep. When you’re experiencing a lack of sleep, you’ll become more easily distressed, as well as irritable and restless. Noise pollution has been attributed to increased rates of cardiovascular disease, psychological issues, and other negative stress responses.
You should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep every night. You can reduce noise in your apartment by sleeping with earplugs, hanging heavy curtains or sealing your windows, and hanging coverings on your walls to block and absorb the noise. To help you fall asleep, you may choose to visit your doctor who might recommend melatonin or meditating for a few minutes before bed. Remember to put away your phone at least a half-hour before you plan on going to bed.
Hit the gym
Try to find time to hit the gym. Exercise has been shown to reduce stress by boosting your brain’s production of endorphins. Along with making you feel good in the moment, regular physical activity helps increase self-confidence and reduces symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. Exercise can also be helpful in falling asleep easier.
The gym is also a great way to meditate because it’ll force you to concentrate on your body’s movements rather than what happened the other day at work. Once you begin regularly going to the gym, your brain will become used to focusing on a single task, which can be a useful skill in most things you do. If you’re hesitant to go alone, ask a friend or co-worker to come with you.
Find things that make you happy
It’s easy to feel suffocated when all you do is go to work, come home, and sleep. Find activities that you enjoy and make time for them. Whether it’s shopping, checking out a museum, or creating art, the possibilities are virtually endless in NYC. You’re in the center of everything, so try picking up some new hobbies and making new acquaintances and friends. Finding things that make you feel content will help reduce stress and anxiety as well as allow you to dedicate time toward bettering yourself.
Overcoming the stress and anxiety of living in NYC can seem like a monumental task, but it doesn’t have to be. With a few simple lifestyle changes, you can start feeling happier and learn how to effectively deal with feeling overwhelmed. All in all, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone.
Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is an anxiety disorder which can develop after a very stressful, frightening or distressing event, or a prolonged traumatic experience.
People naturally feel afraid when in danger, but the legacy of some traumatic events is a change in perception of fear.
Image source Wikimedia
They may feel stressed or frightened in day-to-day life.
PTSD can be caused by any traumatic event – including military conflict, serious road accidents, natural disasters, assaults, and muggings.
Patients typically tend to re-experience the event in flashbacks, avoid talking about it, have trouble sleeping, or experience a change in mood.
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