A 5 Second Trick to Beating Anxiety

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I've been chatting a lot about anxiety lately: five signs you might be experiencing it and also, three ways to naturally kick it to the curb. Today I thought I'd mention one of the simplest tricks I've been using to beat anxiety...

Smiling :).

Sounds crazy right? Actually, no. Try it right now! Smile a big ol' toothy grin at your computer for five seconds, and notice how this expression feels for your mind, your heart, and your body. If you're in a public setting, maybe your coworker or the kid studying next to you is giving you a weird look. Good! It'll make them smile!

Here's why it works: Smiling is a signal to your body of happiness. When do you smile most? When you're experiencing joy! So when you smile, even when you're frustrated or sad or stressed, those joyful hormones are released. There is also a hypothesis about facial feedback. Plus, it's so simple. You can literally smile at any time during your day, so it's unlikely you'll make an excuse or not want to do it.

They say the happiest, most successful people are those who wake up and laugh. When your anxiety is at an all time high, though, laughing seems impossible. Smiling, however, is just the upward curving of your lips. It's more accessible and easier when you're too sad to convince yourself to do anything else.

When you wake up in the morning, form a big, bright smile, and hold it there for five seconds. Bonus points for looking yourself in the mirror while telling yourself, "I love you. You are enough." Try it everyday for at least 21 days, and take account how it affects your day-to-day life.

Like how it's making you feel? You can't overdose on smiles, so keep 'em coming!

Cheers to anxiety-free, Great Vibes! Xx.

What do you think of smile therapy? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Book Club :: Elizabeth Gilbert's, Big Magic Part Four - Persistence

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cover photo of big magic by elizabeth gilbert

cover photo of big magic by elizabeth gilbert

Today we are getting into Big Magic's fourth part, Persistence, and I'm really excited to hear your thoughts. What do you think about showing up for your craft? How do you tell it you're here to stay?

I think it can be really scary to be strong and to have passions and to go against the grain. Almost like mediocrity is the new normal, so is it even okay to want more? Where did wanting more almost make you less than or gossiped about? I think society likes us when we are stressed and anxious but has no idea how to handle us when we are brave and daring? How can you be more brave and daring?

What do you want to talk about?? Hop down to the comments and give it a whirl -- no thought too big, small, unwanted (within reason), or otherwise!

If you've missed any prior Book Club get-togethers, head over to Book Club and catch up! Still haven't grabbed the book? It's not too late. Promise! Buy it here.

For March 4th let's read Part V. Xx.

*affiliate links were used in this post :: thanks for supporting The Great Vibes Guide & me! Xx.

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5 Signs You Have Anxiety and Don't Know It

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anxiety-underwater.jpg

I've written previously (here & here) about grief and sadness and being okay with not being okay, but I thought I'd share with you something I wasn't expecting at all from all of my emotional mayhem...

I became incredibly anxious.

When I say incredibly anxious I mean outstandingly so to the point of doing nothing but crying and wanting a cup of tea and my bed and my heart rate to slow down. It felt as if there was a weight in my stomach, a vise on my head, and my thoughts raced around unstructured and frustrated.

I'm telling you this because it's not uncommon. These feelings of overwhelm and stress have become second nature to society, a pseudo-desire of hard work and progress if you will.

I'm telling you that's bull****.

You can be successful, celebrated, and revered without stress or anxiety. It's not easy by any means, but it's worth putting in the effort.

Here are 5 things you might not know about how stress can affect your mind and body ...

1. You might be grinding your jaw or clenching it tightly.
When we are stressed, we tend to tense our muscles, like you would if someone were about to hit or punch you. That kind of tension is part of the natural fight or flight response. Tension caused by anxiety or stress is rarely relieved, meaning your entire body is in this constant clench. Cue sensitive teeth and painful chewing.

2. You might have stomach and intestine complications
The gang's all here in the form of indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, etc. Anxiety can make you feel jittery and high-strung, and while it's affecting your mental state and ability to breathe, it's making your belly just as jittery and high-strung, and it'll react by making you uncomfortably bloated or running to the bathroom every so often.

3. You might experience body aches like never before.
Like with excessive grinding of your jaw or clenching it tightly, the rest of your body is still doing that. It might feel like you've run a marathon or just done crossfit 10 times over even if you haven't left your bed. Your body is tightly wound at this point and making you aware of it all.

4. You might be sick more frequently.
When our bodies are on go-mode all of the time, our immune system cannot keep up. Most people suffering from anxiety or stress have difficulty sleeping or eating foods that boost their bodies health and these factors can wear down the body even more, making us susceptible to colds, flu and stomach bugs, and other germs our bodies would normally be capable of fighting off in good health.

5. You might have dull hair and skin or have more breakouts than before.
Stress and anxiety in our bodies release cortisol (the stress chemical, really). This can lead to an excess in oil production on our skin, so we can say helllooooo to breakouts. It can also lead hair to go into telogen phase where it is falling out easily. When we're not eating well or paying attention to our health, we're not getting the vitamins and nutrients our bodies need to survive and thrive.
 

How does that all relate to your life right now? Are you finding there are similarities? Differences? Variations on the theme? Making this post today, I was amazed at how one little word causes so much trauma in the body. But that list is no beuno!!!

Luckily, we have the control to turn anxiety around - most people think it lies in medicine and forgetting all about it (and for some that might work) - but almost always it comes with digging down to the deep, dark, root issues and spend a lot of time asking the hard questions: Why is this happening? What can I do? How is this affecting my life?

In other words, the winner of life (not that there is such a person) is not the most anxious who still manages to succeed. The winner is the person thriving without stress or anxiety and rocking a life of Great Vibes. You have the power to be the latter every single day.

It's time to tap into that power!

Cheers to Great Vibes!
Xx. Em

UP NEXT WEEK:: So I Have Anxiety, What Do I Do About It?

+ What is your experience with anxiety? Share in the comments below!

P.S. I don't know why the font is so small, babes! Technology, I swear ...

P.S.S Did you know you get The Great Vibes New Year Guide when you sign up for The Newsletter?
Subscribe right now >>>>>

P.S.S.S Have you checked out all of the
other places Emily's spreading the Great Vibes?