Harry Potter #102

This is a meme hosted by me and the lovely Mimz at Lunar Rainbows :).The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/ films/ J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! I will be picking a topic within HP for us to focus on each week and then if anyone wants to take part feel free! All I ask is to link back here or to Mimz's blog :). There is now a full list of the topics to come in the Harry Potter section of my blog here.

GUEST POST: Top Ten Tips to Cope With Anxiety

The lovely Micheline from Lunar Rainbows/ Holistic Chick is here today to share her top ten tips for coping with anxiety. 

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Hi all!  In the spirit of Mental Health Awareness Month, one of our hosts Leah over at Uncorked Thoughts suggested I whip up a Top 10 post on the best ways to deal with anxiety.  Of course, considering my background in natural health, these will have natural health leanings but I've also mixed in generalized tips and advice as well!

1. Breathing. Breathing is important -  it sounds like common sense or too simple to actually have an effect but time and time again studies have shown that taking a moment to stop and focus on breathing in and out slowly has positive results in calming down nerves, anxiety or panic attacks.  I shared a fun little 60 second video previously that addresses proper breathing techniques, to view it click here.

2. Nutrition.  Think of your body like your car.  Food is the fuel that keeps your car running smoothly.  If you're prone to anxiety or panic attacks you should be aware of how caffeine, sugar, artificial ingredients (food colouring, preservatives, aspartame etc) can negatively impact your nervous system and overall mental health.  Speaking from experience when I started eliminating coffee and processed foods from my diet, I noticed a HUGE difference in my anxiety levels.  That doesn't mean I don't have caffeine or sweet deserts in my life but instead of visiting a local coffee chain, I drink homemade tea and instead of processed store-bought cheese cake, I make my own so I can decide what goes in it.